UC-NRLF 


$B    22    3D7 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/civicsforyoungannOOgiffrich 


CIVICS 


FOR 


Young  Americans 


OR 


FIRST  LESSONS  IN  GOVERNMENT. 


REVISED  AND   ENLARGED.  WITH   AN   APPENDIX    CONTAINING   EX- 

PLANATIONS  OF   STATE.    COUNTY,   TOWN  AND 

CITY  GOVERNMENT. 


BY 

WM.  M.  GIFFIN,  A.M.,  Pd.D. 

AND 

HARRIS  G.  PRO  VINES,  Ph.B, 


Fourth  Edition,  Revised. 


NEW  YORK: 
PARKER  P.  SIMMONS, 

SUCCESSOR  TO 

A.    LOVELL    &    CO. 


5K 


Copyright,  1888, 1892,  BT 
WM.  M.  GIFFIN. 

Copyright,  1904,  by 
VM.  M.  GIFFIN  AND  HARRIS  G.  PROVINES. 


to 

his  nephews  lana  nieces  tnroug:nout  the  Unianb 
this  little  book  is  respectfully 

f3E0iCATE0 


2703S2 


PEEFACE. 


In  preparing  this  book  the  author  has  had  primarily 
before  him  the  fact  that  just  such  a  book  was  wanted 
to  throw  light  upon  a  common  subject  not  generally  or 
sufficiently  treated  in  school  courses  of  instruction.  Be- 
sides, there  has  been  a  paramount  desire  to  present  the 
subject  in  a  form  so  simple  and  entertaining  that  the 
young  reader  may  readily  understand,  and  through  this 
understanding,  be  led  to  further  thought.  A  basis  of 
interesting  knowledge  being  established,  further  thought 
cannot  fail  to  inculcate  a  love  of  our  co^mtry  and  its  laws. 

The  subject  of  Civil  Government  involves  much  that 
requires  for  its  comprehension  mature  and  extended 
thought.  In  view  of  this  fact  the  author  has  kept  in 
mind  the  capabilities  of  young  intellects,  and  has  endeav- 
ored to  treat  that  subject  so  simply,  in  both  the  choice 
,*f  words  and  the  arrangement  of  thought,  as  to  insure  its 
easy  comprehension  by  the  youngest  reader.  Neverthe- 
less, it  is  hoped  that  it  will  prove  interesting  to  older 
thinkers  who  may  find  time  to  read  it. 


'i^.''-;  o., "  *■  X  J . ,.-; :-  ;  ^ ,  -  preface. 

As  an  especial  feature  of  this  little  book,  the  need 
)f  government  and  law  is  made  apparent  in  a  narra- 
tive that  is  calculated  to  arrest  attention  and  provoke 
thought.  Following  this  tale  suggesting  the  need  of  gov- 
ernment, the  simple  forms  naturally  arising  in  the  framing 
of  laws  are  presented  and  developed  in  a  manner  which 
will  appeal  naturally  to  a  young  reader's  reason. 

While  no  exhaustive  or  detailed  explanation  of  for- 
eign governments  has  been  given,  comparative  condi- 
tions have  been  stated  and  suggestive  differences  have 
been  noted,  and  the  reasons  for  certain  laws  have  been 
told  in  a  manner  intended  to  show  a  relation  between 
cause  and  effect. 

In  the  subsequent  chapters,  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  has  been  presented  with  sufficient  explana- 
tion, it  is  thought,  to  make  the  various  clauses  significant 
in  meaning  to  the  reader. 

In  the  Appendix  will  be  found  explanations  of  State, 
County,  City,  Town  and  Township  governments.  Also, 
chapters  containing  suggestive  review  questions,  among 
which  are  many  facts  not  found  in  the  text. 

W.  M.  G. 


CON 


NTS 


CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.     A  Story 9 

II      The  Stoky  Continued 1-i 

III.  Some  Facts  from  History 18 

IV.  The  Kinds  of  Government 22 

V.     The  Articles  of  Confederation 29 

YI.     The  Constitution  33 

VII.     The  House  of  Representatives 36 

VIII.     The  Senate 43 

IX.     What  Congress  pias  Power  to  do 63 

X.     What  Congress  and  the  State  cannot  do 69 

XI.     The  Executive  Department 75 

XII.     The  Judicial  Department 91 

XIII.  Miscellaneous  Provisions 97 

XIV.  The  Amendments 104 

XV.     Political  Parties  •  United  States  Capitals 112 

XVI.     Conclusion    *. 118 

XVII.     Introduction  to  Appendix ,122 

XVIII.     Subdivisions .124 

XIX.     County 125 

XX.     Townships    127 

XXI.  Townships,  Continued 131 

XXI I .  Township  and  County 133 

XXIII.  Towns  and  Cities 135 

XXIV.  State  Government 136 

XXV.  County  Officers 144 

XXVI.  Officers  of  the  Township 147 

XXVII.     Officers  of  Town  and  City 149 

XXVIII.    Conclusion    153 


"  One  half  of  the  dme  which  is  now  almost  wholly  wasted  in  dis- 
trict schools,  on  English  grammar  attempted  at  too  early  an  age, 
would  be  sufficient  to  teach  our  children  to  love  the  Eepublic  and 
to  become  its  loyal  and  life-long  supporters."  —  James  A.  Garfield. 


CIVICS  FOE  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 


>>»?< 


CHAPTER  I. 

A   STORY. 

We  once  read  a  story  of  a  young  man  by  the  name  of 
Philip  Brusque.  It  was  written  by  Peter  Parley.  We 
wish  that  every  one  of  our  young  American  friends  could 
read  the  story  for  himself.  In  this  chapter  we  shall  give 
a  brief  outline  of  a  part  of  it,  which  will  be  the  next 
best  thing  to  the  story  itself. 

Young  Brusque  was  a  Frenchman,  who  lived  in  France 
about  the  year  1789,  or  at  the  time  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion. ■  If  our  young  friends  desire  to  have  a  very  good 
idea  of  this  Revolution,  they  should  read  the  "Tale  of 
Two  Cities  "  by  Charles  Dickens. 

At  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  France  was  a  monarchy. 
Those  of  our  readers  who  have  studied  geography  will 
understand  what  kind  of  a  government  this  is. 

In  1789  the  common  people  of  France  determined  to 
overthrow  the  government.     Thousands  of  persons  were 


jg-^o\...'  .*.-    fciVlCS   FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

executed  by  them.  One  of  the  most  active  of  the  people 
was  young  Brusque,  who,  with  many  others,  thought  that 
if  the  government  could  only  be  overthrown,  he  would  be 
very  happy.  He  thought  that  then  he  could  do  as  he  liked, 
without  being  restrained  by  any  law,  except  the  moral 
sense  of  man.  He  thought  that  laws  were  unfair,  and 
that  no  man  should  be  subject  to  them.  -In  fact,  Philip 
took  such  an  active  part  that  he  soon  found  it  unsafe  for 
him  to  stay  in  Paris,  and  hence,  with  many  others,  he  set 
sail  for  a  foreign  land.  But  alas !  when  but  a  few  days 
out,  a  great  storm  arose  and  all  on  board  were  drowned, 
save  Philip,  who  was  washed  ashore  on  a  lone  island,  and 
what  seemed  to  please  him  most  of  all  was,  that  the 
island  was  without  a  single  human  inhabitant  except 
himself. 

Peter  Parley  says,  that  when  Philip  found  himself 
alone  on  the  island,  he  was  delighted,  and  exclaimed: 
"  Now  I  shall  be  happy.  Here  I  can  enjoy  perfect  lib- 
erty. Here  is  no  prison»like  the  Bastile ;  here  is  no  king 
to  make  slaves  of  his  fellow-men ;  here  is  no  Robes- 
pierre to  plot  the  murder  of  his  fellow-citizens.  0  Lib- 
erty, how  have  I  worshipped  thee!  and  here  on  this 
lone  island  I  have  found  thee.  Here  I  can  labor  or  rest, 
eat  or  drink,  wake  or  sleep,  as  I  please.  Here  is  no  one 
to  control  my  actions  or  my  thoughts.  In  my  native 
country  all  the  land  belongs  to  a  few  persons ;  but  here  I 
can  take  as  much  land  as  I  please.     I  can  freely  pick  the 


A   STORY.  11 

fruit  from  the  trees,  according  to  my  choice  or  my  wants 
How  different  is  my  situation  from  what  it  was  in  France ! 
There,  everything  belongs  to  somebody,  and  I  was  re- 
strained from  taking  anything,  unless  I  paid  for  it.  Here, 
all  is  free,  all  is  mine.  Here,  I  can  enjoy  perfect  liberty. 
In  France,  I  was  under  the  check  and  control  of  a  thou- 
sand laws ;  here,  there  is  no  law  but  my  own  will.  Here, 
I  haye  indeed  found  perfect  freedom." 

Philip,  you  see,  was  quite  happy.  Thus  he  continued  f oi 
about  a  year,  when  he  began  to  feel  very  lonely.  How  he 
longed  to  see  a  human  being  once  more !  Each  day  found 
him  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill  looking  wishfully  out  at  sea 
for  a  sail.  "  One  day  while  he  was  thus  watching,"  says 
Peter  Parley,  "  he  began  to  talk  as  follows :  ^  Liberty  is, 
indeed,  a  dear  and  beautiful  thing ;  but  still  I  want  some- 
thing beside  liberty.  I  want  to  hear  a  human  voice.  1 
want  to  look  into  a  human  face.  I  want  some  one  to 
speak  to.  I  feel  as  if  my  very  heart  would  wither  for  the 
want  of  a  friend.  I  feel  a  thirst  within,  and  I  have  no 
means  of  satisfying  it.  I  feel  within  a  voice  speaking, 
and  there  is  no  answer.  This  beautiful  island  is  becoming 
a  desert  to  me,  without  even  an  echo.  0  dear  France ! 
0  dear,  dear  home !  How  gladly  would  I  give  up  this 
hollow  and  useless  liberty  for  the  pleasure  of  friendship 
and  society !  I  would  be  willing  to  be  restrained  by  the 
thousand  meshes  of  the  law,  if  I  might  once  more  enjoy 
the  pleasure  of  living  in  the  midst  of  my  fellow-men.' " 


12  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

Ah,  my  young  friends,  what  a  change  had  come  ovei 
Philip  in  one  short  year !  Short  to  us,  but  alas!  how  long, 
how  very  long,  it  had  been  to  him.  One  day,  on  going  to 
the  top  of  the  hill,  Philip  thought  he  saw  something  mov- 
ing. It  was  about  a  mile  from  where  he  was  standing, 
and  looking  sharply,  he  found  that  it  was  a  human  being. 
0,  how  his  heart  jumped  for  joy !  He  set  off  like  a  wild 
deer  toward  the  stranger.  When  near  enough,  he  saw  it 
was  a  man.  He  ran  right  up  to  him  with  open  arms. 
The  man's  name  was  Jacques  Piquet.  He  was  a  fisherman 
from  Mauritius.  He  had  been  out  fishing,  and  the  wind 
had  blown  him  so  far  out  to  sea,  that  he  could  not  get 
back  to  land.  When  he  was  about  to  give  up  all  hopes, 
his  small  boat  was  dashed  to  pieces,  and  Jacques,  being  a 
good  swimmer,  saved  his  life  by  swimming  to  the  island, 
which  happened  to  be  the  one  on  which  Philip  was  living. 
How  happy  Philip  was !  He  put  his  arms  around  the 
fisherman  and  kissed  him  again  and  again.  He  took  the 
stranger  and  led  him  to  his  cave.  Next  he  gathered  some 
fresh  pineapples  and  other  fruit,  and  when  he  saw  the 
fisherman  eating  them  he  clapped  his  hands  in  joy. 
Philip  also  ran  to  get  Jacques  some  fresh  water  to  drink. 
This  was  all  very  strange  for  Philip  to  do,  as  he  was  a 
proud  fellow,  and  had  he  been  compelled  to  serve  the 
fisherman  he  would  have  hated  and  resisted  the  work^ 
but  because  he  was  doing  it  of  his  own  free  will  and 
accord  he  found  pleasure  in  it.     Philip  continued  to  wait 


A  STORY.  13 

on  the  fisherman  for  some  little  time.  At  last,  however, 
there  came  a  new  order  of  things,  and  the  fisherman  began 
to  order  Philip  to  do  this  and  that  for  him.  This  made 
Brusque  very  angry,  and  he  told  the  fisherman  he  might 
wait  on  himself. 

This,  in  turn,  made  Jacques  angry,  and  soon  from  words 
they  came  to  blows.  Brusque,  being  the  stronger  of  the 
two,  dealt  Jacques  a  blow  on  the  head  which  felled  him  to 
the  ground,  where  he  lay  without  motion,  seeming  actu- 
ally to  be  dead. 


CHAPTER  n. 

THE    STORY    CONTINUED. 

No  sooner  did  Philip  see  the  condition  of  the  fisherman, 
than  he  thought  to  himself :  "  What  a  strange  creature  I 
am !  A  few  weeks  since  I  was  mad  with  joy  at  the  arri- 
val of  this  man ;  soon  he  became  the  tyrant  of  my  life.  I 
then  wished  him  dead.  I  forgot  that  he  had  rights  as 
well  as  myself.  In  taking  his  life  I  did  a  great  wrong  to 
justice,  to  liberty,  and  to  myself." 

While  Brusque  was  thinking  these  thoughts,  the  fisher- 
man moved  and  showed  signs  of  returning  life.  Philip 
was  again  full  of  joy,  and,  fetching  some  water,  sprinkled 
it  over  the  man's  face.  He  soon  recovered,  and  Philip 
led  him  to  the  cave,  where,  lying  down,  he  went  to 
sleep.     Again  Philip  fell  to  thinking. 

"Jacques  is  alive  again,  and  I  am  relieved  of  a  load. 
When  I  was  alone  I  was  perfectly  free,  but  I  soon  found 
that  freedom  without  society  was  a  sad  condition  of 
things.  I  therefore  yearned  for  society,  and  I  had  it. 
But  it  soon  became  a  torment  to  me.  What,  then,  is  the 
difficulty  ?  I  believe  it  is  the  want  of  some  rules,  by 
which  we  may  regulate  our  conduct.     Though  there  are 


THE    STORY    CONTINUED.  15 

but  two  of  US,  still  we  find  it  necessary  to  enter  into  a 
compact.  We  must  form  a  government ;  we  must  submit 
to  laws,  rules,  and  regulations.  We  must  each  submit  to 
the  abridgment  of  some  portion  of  our  liberty  —  some  po^ 
tion  of  our  privileges  —  in  order  to  secure  the  rest." 

Philip  now  returned  to  t>e  cave,  where  he  found  the 
fisherman  much  better.  Philip  spoke  to  him  of  the  neces- 
sity of  laying  down  certain  rule^^,  by  which  the  essential 
rights  of  each  should  be  preserved  c'.nd  a  state  of  harmony 
insured.  To  this  Janques  agreed,  a\id  the  following  code 
of  laws  being  drawn  up  by  Philip,  they  were  passed  unan- 
imously :  — 

"  Be  it  ordained  by  Philip  Brusque,  late  of  France,  and 
Jacques  Piquet,  of  Mauritius,  to  insure  harmony,  establish 
justice,  and  promote  the  good  of  all  parties :  — 

"  1.    This  island  shall  be  called  Fredonia. 

"  2.  Liberty  being  a  great  good  in  iiriclf ,  and  the  right 
of  every  human  being,  it  shall  only  be  abridged  so  far  as 
the  good  of  society  may  require.  But  as  all  laws  restrain 
liberty,  we,  the  people  of  Fredonia,  submit  to  the  follow- 
ing:— 

"  3.  The  cave,  called  the  Castaway's  Home,  lately 
occupied  by  Philip  Brusque,  shall  be  alternately  occupied 
for  a  day  and  night  by  said  Philip  Brusque  and  Jacques 
Piquet,  tlie  former  beginning  this  day,  and  the  latter 
taking  it  the  next  day,  and  so  forth. 


16  CIVICS   FO^  YOUN^G  AMERICANS. 

^^  4.  Each  person  shall  have  a  right  to  build  himself 
a  house,  and  sliall  have  exclusive  possession  of  the  same. 

"5.  If  two  persons  wish  the  same  fruit  at  the  same 
tinie,  they  shall  draw  lots  for  the  first  choice,  it  they  can- 
not agree  otherwise  as  to  the  division. 

^^6.  If  any  di:fference  arises  between  the  two  parties, 
Philip  Brusque  and  Jacques  Piquet,  they  shall  decide  such 
questions  by  lot. 

"7.  This  code  of  laws  shall  be  changed,  or  modified, 
or  added  to,  only  by  the  consent  of  the  parties,  Philip 
Brusque  and  Jacques  Piquet. 

"All  which  is  done  this  27th  day  of  June,  a.d.  18 — ." 

This  was  neatly  cut  with  a  penknife  on  a  board  which 
had  come  ashore  from  the  wreck  of  Philip's  vessel,  and  it 
became  the  statute  law  of  the  island  of  Fredonia. 

From  this  story  of  Philip  w^  learn  that  absolute  liberty 
cannot  be  enjoyed  except  by  an  individual  in  solitude, 
where  he  has  no  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men.  From 
it  we  also  learn  that  even  supposing  there  are  but  two 
persons  living  together,  some  rules,  or  laws,  by  which 
they  may  regulate  their  conduct,  become  necessary. 
The  truth  is,  my  young  friends,  people  cannot  live 
together  in  society  without  government.  As  shown  to  us 
in  this  story  by  Peter  Parley,  even  two  persons  on  an 
island  find  that,  to  prevent  quarrelling,  they  must  define 
their  mutual  rights  and  privileges ;  or,  in  short,  they  must 


I 


THE    STORY    CONTINUED.  17 

enact  laios.  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  these  laws  are 
restraints  upon  natural  or  absolute  liberty. 

Tims  it  is  that  we  are  to-day  living  in  a  country  gov- 
erned by  laws.  And  the  best  of  all  is,  that  our  laws,  like 
those  of  Philip  and  the  fisherman,  are  our  own ;  that  is, 
they  are  made  by  us,  and  the  purpose  of  this  little  book 
is  to  show  you  why  in  this  respect,  our  country  is  one  of 
the  grandest,  if  not  the  very  best,  in  the  world. 

Many  years  ago  our  forefathers  lived  in  a  country  very 
much  like  the  one  from  which  Philip  came.  It  differed 
in  some  things.  We  shall  have  more  to  say  of  this,  how- 
ever,  in  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SOME    FACTS   FROM   HISTORY. 

You  have  read  the  history  of  our  country  from  its  dis- 
covery by  Columbus  to  the  present  time.  Is  it  not  sur- 
prising how  much  the  lives  of  our  forefathers  resembled 
that  of  Philip  Brusque  ?  They  lived  in  England,  under 
rulers  who  were  haughty  and  arbitrary  men,  just  as 
Philip  had  in  France. 

They  also,  like  Philip,  longed  for  liberty  and  a  better 
home;  though,  unlike  Philip,  they  were  true  to  their 
"country,  and  instead  of  trying  to  overthrow  the  govern- 
ment, they  simply  asked  to  be  allowed  to  go  from  it  and 
live  by  themselves.  This  they  did,  and,  as  you  know, 
they  came  to  the  New  World.     How  they  suffered  !  • 

You  remember  the  Starving  Time  in  Virginia,  the  In- 
dian War,  and  Bacon's  Rebellion.  You  remember  King 
Philip's  War  in  Massachusetts,  and  Clayborn's  Rebellion 
in  Maryland. 

You  remember  the  Pequod  War  in  Connecticut,  the 
trouble  with  the  Spaniards  in  Georgia,  and  the  wars  of 
King  William,  Queen  Anne,  and  King  George  ;  and  finally, 
the  greatest  of  them  all,  the  French  and  Indian  War. 


SOME   FACTS   FROM   HISTORY.  19 

When  the  French  and  Indian  War  began,  none  were  as 
ready  to  help  the  English  king  as  those  who  were  living 
in  the  New  World,  many  of  whom  had  left  England  be- 
cause they  had  been  so  badly  treated  there.  All  through 
the  nine  long  years  of  the  war  they  fought  bravely  and 
well.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  although  "  England  reaped 
all  the  glory,  and  the  colonies  had  borne  the  brunt  of  the 
conflict,  none  were  more  ready  and  willing  than  they  to 
help  pay  the  debts  which  the  war  had  contracted." 

How  were  the  colonies  repaid  for  all  this  loyalty? 
You  remember  that  before  the  French  and  Indian  War 
some  of  the  colonies  had  been  assailed  in  their  personal 
liberty  and  political  rights.  Dishonest  governors  had 
been  sent  over  here  by  the  king  and  had  plundered  them, 
while  tyrannical  governors  had,  time  after  time,  grossly 
abused  and  oppressed  them. 

All  this  might  have  been  forgotten  after  the  French 
and  Indian  War,  had  it  not  been  for  the  money-loving 
king,  who  acted  as  if  the  colonies  existed  only  for  the  pur- 
pose of  helping  him  and  the  people  in  England  to  make 
money.  When,  however,  the  king  saw  how  nicely  the 
colonies  were  prospering,  he,  instead  of  giving  them  a 
helping  hand,  did  everything  he  could  to  injure  them. 

You  remember  the  Navigation  Act,  the  Acts  of 
Trade,  the  Restricting  Laws,  the  Writs  of  Assistance, 
the  Stamp  Act,  the  Mutiny  Act,  the  Boston  Massacre,  and 


20  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

the  Tax  on  Tea.  These  alone  were  enough  to  make  tho 
colonies  feel  anything  but  friendly  toward  England. 

But  King  George  III.  was  guilty  of  many  more  un- 
just acts.  For  example,  he  would  not  allow  a  man  to 
cut  down  a  tree  on  his  own  land  without  first  asking 
permission.  He  would  appoint  a  man  a  judge,  and  then, 
if  he  did  not  decide  all  cases  in  favor  of  the  king,  the 
king  would  not  pay  him  his  salary.  He  appointed  a 
multitude  of  officers  who  were  not  at  all  necessary,  and 
then  obliged  the  colonies  to  pay  them  large  salaries.  He 
kept  a  large  number  of  soldiers  here  in  times  of  peace 
when  there  was  no  good  reason  for  it.  The  soldiers  had 
to  be  paid  by  the  colonies.  These  soldiers  oftentimes 
were  guilty  of  murders  for  which  they  went  unpunished. 
Innocent  men  were  arrested  for  pretended  offences,  be- 
cause they  stood  in  the  king's  way,  and  he  wanted  to 
take  them  to  England  to  be  tried  for  the  alleged  ofences. 
The  king,  in  fact,  "  plundered  our  seas,  ravaged  our  coasts, 
burned  our  towns,  and  destroyed  the  lives  of  our  peo- 
ple." 

This  was  a  very  bad  return  for  what  the  colonies  had 
done  for  him.  And,  notwithstanding  it  all,  the  colonies 
were  still  loyal  to  him.  They  in  fact,  petitioned  for  re- 
dress in  the  most  humble  terms.  The  petitions  were 
answered  only  by  repeated  injury. 

There  was  only  one  thing  left  to  do,  which  was  to 


SOME  FACTS   FROM   HISTORY.  21 

declare  themselves  free  and  independent  of  England  and 
her  king,  and  this  was  done  on  the  fourth  day  of  July, 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-six ;  but  not  till 
seven  years  after  this  did  England  acknowledge  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  colouiea 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   KINDS    OF    GOVERNMENT.  * 

As  soon  as  our  forefathers  had  declared  themselves 
independent  of  Great  Britain,  they  knew  they  must  form 
a  government ;  for,  being  wise  men,  they  knew  they  could 
not  long  exist  without  a  government  of  some  kind.  At 
that  time,  as  well  as  at  the  present,  there  were  three 
distinct  kinds  of  government.  These  were  monarchies, 
aristocracies,  and  republics. 

Let  us  now  learn  something  of  these  different  kinds 
of  governments,  that  we  may  have  a  better  idea  of  them. 
We  are  sure  all  of  our  readers  will  be  glad  they  live  in 
the  United  States  when  they  know  more  of  its  govern- 
ment and  the  governments  of  some  other  countries  of 
which  we  shall  learn. 

A  Monarchy  is  a  government  by  a  single  person. 
This  person  has  different  titles  in  different  countries.  If 
the  country  is  an  empire,  the  ruler  is  called  an  Emperor, 
Czar,  or  Sultan.  If  it  is  a  kingdom,  he  or  she  is  called 
a  King  or  Queen.  If  it  is  a  principality,  he  is  called  a 
Prince.      If  it  is  a  duchy,  he  is  called  a  Duke. 


THE    KINDS    OF    GOVERNMENT.  23 

There  are  two  kinds  of  monarchies.  They  are  abso- 
lute and  limited. 

An  Absolute  Monarchy  is  one  in  which  all  the  power 
is  in  the  hands  of  one  man.  This  is  very  good  if  that 
man  is  one  to  be  trusted.  But  if  he  is  not  a  good  man, 
and  hence  cannot  be  trusted,  then  it  is  terrible. 

When  reading  history,  we  learn  of  many  different 
absolute  monarchies.  One,  for  instance,  is  Russia,  which 
is  one  of  the  most  powerful  monarchies  in  the  world. 
One  of  the  Russian  emperors,  or  Czars,  was  named  Ivan 
IV.,  who  was  the  Czar  of  Russia  for  about  fifty  years. 
You  will  learn  what  kind  of  a  man  Ivan  was  from  the 
following :  — 

A  number  of  noblemen  were  one  day  talking,  when 
one  of  them  said  :  "  The  grand  prince  "  (meaning  Ivan) 
"  decides  all  questions  alone,  shut  up  in  his  chamber." 
Ivan,  hearing  he  had  said  this,  ordered  that  he  be  taken  to 
prison,  there  to  have  his  head  cut  off.  Ivan  had  a  very 
quick  temper,  and  all  of  his  subjects  approached  him  in 
fear.  One  day  he  became  angry  at  one  of  his  courtiers, 
and  without  any  pity,  he  ordered  that  the  courtier  be  torn 
to  death  by  savage  dogs.  But  then  he  could  do  as  he  liked, 
for  he  was  an  absolute  monarch,  and  hence  went  unpun- 
ished for  his  acts.  Nor  did  he  stop  here.  In  fact,  he  did 
so  many  terrible  deeds  that  he  was  called  Ivan  the  Terri- 
ble. He  one  time  went  to  a  city  where  there  were  many 
people  who  disliked  his  cruel  ways,  and  who  were  not 


24  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNtr   AMERICANS. 

afraid  to  say  so,  and  had  sixty  thousand  men,  besides 
many  women  and  children,  killed. 

Just  think,  my  young  friends,  of  being  obliged  to  live 
in  a  country  that  had  a  form  of  government  which  al- 
lowed such  a  wretch  to  be  its  ruler. 

When  reading  history  we  also  learn  of  good  monarchs 
who  tried  to  do  what  was  right ;  still  they  were  all  apt 
to  look  out  for  themselves  rather  than  for  others,  which 
does  not  agree  with  Sir  Walter  Scott's  idea  of  a  true  man, 
for  he  says,  "  The  man  whom  I  call  deserving  the  name 
is  one  whose  thoughts  and  exertions  are  for  others  rather 
than  himself."  Another  well-known  writer  has  said : 
"  The  absolute  monarch  is  generally  a  tyrant.  Men  are 
too  imperfect  to  be  trusted  with  absolute  power."     . 

A  Limited  Monarchy  is  one  in  which  the  power  of 
the  monarch  is  limited  by  the  constitution  and  the  laws 
of  the  country,  which  say  that  the  ruler  must  share  his 
power  with  a  class  of  nobles,  or  a  body  of  men  who  are 
elected  for  that  purpose. 

One  of  the  most  powerful  limited  monarchies  is  Eng- 
land. England  at  one  time  was  an  absolute  monarchy, 
and  we  can  form  something  of  an  idea  of  its  early  kings 
when  we  read  of  one  of  them,  who  was  known  as  King 
John,  who,  it  is  said,  threw  into  prison  a  wealthy  Jew 
because  he  refused  to  give  the  king  an  enormous  sum  of 
money.  While  the  Jew  was  in  prison,  the  king  ordered 
one  of  his  teeth  pulled   out   each  day,  until   he    paid 


THE   KINDS   OF  GOVERNMENT.  25 

the  required  amount  of  money.  King  John's  treat- 
ment of  the  poor  old  Jew,  however,  was  one  of  the  least 
of  his  wicked  acts.  When  John  became  king,  there  was 
another  who  had  the  best  claim  to  the  throne.  This  was 
John's  pretty  little  nephew,  Arthur ;  but  John  seized  the 
treasure,  and  the  little  prince  was  locked  up  in  a  large 
castle.  While  the  prince  was  here,  the  king  sent  two 
ruffians  to  burn  the  little  fellow's  eyes  out  with  red-hot 
irons.  The  warden  of  the  castle,  Hubert  de  Bourg,  to  his 
praise  be  it  remembered,  sent  the  savages  away.  This 
made  the  king  very  angry,  and  after  this  he  sent  another 
ruffian  to  kill  the  poor  little  prince.  Hubert  sent  back 
word  to  the  king  that  he  would  do  it  for  him.  John 
knew  he  would  not  do  so,  and  had  Arthur  taken  to  an- 
other castle.  One  dark  night  the  little  prince  was  aroused 
from  his  sleep  and  told  to  follow  his  jailer  down  stairs. 
When  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  he  was  drawn  into  a  boat, 
where  he  saw  his  uncle.  King  John,  and  another  man. 
The  little  fellow  knelt  to  them  and  begged  them  not  to 
murder  him.  To  this  they  paid  no  attention,  but  stabbed 
him,  and  sunk  his  body  in  the  river  with  heavy  stones. 

England  still  has  a  ruler ;  but  there  are  also  two  bodies 
of  men,  or  two  houses,  as  they  are  called,  with  which  he 
shares  his  power.  Tliese  houses  are  called  the  House  of 
Lords  and  the  House  of  Commons. 

Long  after  England  claimed  to  have  a  limited  mon- 
archy, however,  the  kings  had,  or  at  least  assumed,  great 


26  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

power.  We  read  that  during  the  reign  of  King  Henry 
VIII.  (Bluff  King  Hal)  many  people  were  executed  be- 
cause they  would  not  bow  to  the  king's  will.  It  was 
during  his  reign  that  an  old  man,  Wolsey  by  name,  who 
had  been  a  lifelong  friend  of  Henry  VIII.,  received  a 
death  sentence  because  he  would  not  do  a  dishonest  act 
for  the  king.  It  is  said  his  last  words  were  to  one  Crom- 
well, and  were  as  follows :  "  Had  I  but  served  God  as 
diligently  as  I  have  served  the  king,  he  vv^ould  not  have 
given  me  over  in  my  gray  hairs.  Howbeit,  this  is  my 
just  reward  for  my  pains  and  diligence,  not  regarding  my 
service  to  God,  but  only  my  duty  to  my  prince."  He  was 
not  executed,  as  he  died  broken-hearted  on  his  way  to 
prison.  Do  you  not  think  Wolsey  was  treated  by  Henry 
VIII.  very  much  as  our  forefathers  were  treated  by  George 
III.  ?  Henry  VIII.  had  six  wives.  One  of  them  he  be- 
came tired  of,  and,  on  some  slight  excuse,  he  had  her 
executed,  and  the  very  next  day  he  married  another 
woman.  Hence  you  see  that  the  king  of  this  limited 
monarchy  was  not  much,  if  any,  better  than  Ivan,  the 
absolute  monarch. 

After  Henry  VIII.  came  Edward  VI.,  and  after  him 
came  Queen  Mary.  Mary  tried  to  change  many  of  the 
Iws  which  King  Henry  VIII.  had  made,  and  in  trying 
to  force  them  upon  the  people  she  had  three  hundred 
persons  burned  to  death,  because  they  did  not  like  her 
pew  laws. 


THE    KINDS    OF    GOVERNMENT.  27 

After  Mary  came  Elizabeth.  During  the  reign  of 
''  Good  Queen  Bess,"  as  she  was  .sometimes  called,  Eng- 
land improved  very  much,  for  Elizabeth  was  a  queen  of 
great  power  and  merit.  She  re-organized  a  church,  and 
said  there  must  be  no  other  kind  ;  and  if  any  one  was 
found  attending  any  other  church,  he  was  executed.  So 
you  see,  though  she  was  called  a  good  queen,  she  had 
some  very  bad  faults.  If  you  would  like  to  learn  more 
of  the  kings  and  queens  of  England,  read  Charles 
Dickens'  "  Child's  History  of  England."  Some  of  them 
have  been  noble  men  and  Avomen,  one  of  the  best  being 
Queen  Victoria,  who  was  much  beloved  at  home  and 
abroad. 

An  Aristocracy  is  a  government  in  which  the  power 
is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  nobles  or  aristocrats.  All 
historians  agree  that  an  aristocracy  is  the  poorest  form  of 
government  a  country  can  have. 

A  Republic  is  that  form  of  government  in  which  the 
supreme  power  is  vested  in  the  people,  or  delegated  to 
representatives  elected  by  the  people. 

A  republic  binds  men  together  by  strong  ties  of 
fellowship,  as  in  a  bond  of  affection  and  i)rotherly  love. 
It  is  the  grandest  of  all  forms  of  government. 

Some  three  hundred  years  ago  the  colony  of  Plymouth 
was  a  republic,  and  at  that  time  the  people  all  met  to 
make  the  laws.  There  were  so  few  people  then  that  they 
could  do  this.     Now,  however,  there  is  no  building,  nor 


28  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

city  for  that  matter,  which  is  large  enough  to  hold  all  the 
people  ;  so  the  people  send  men  to  act  for  them,  who  are 
called  representatives,  because  they  represent  the  people. 
These  representatives,  as  you  know,  meet  in  the  city  of 
Washington  to  make  the  laws.  We  will  learn  more  of 
them. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   ARTICLES    OF    CONFEDERATIOlf. 

On  the  same  day  (June  11,  1776)  that  the  committee 
was  appointed  to  prepare  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
there  was  another  committee  appointed  to  prepare  some 
rules  or  laws  for  the  colonies  which  were  about  to  become 
independent.  This  committee  met  and  drew  up  a  set  of 
laws  which  they  called  "Articles  of  Confederation  and 
Perpetual  Union  between  the  States,''  meaning  the  thir- 
teen original  states  of  our  country  of  which  you  have 
learned  in  your  histories. 

During  the  Revolution  the  Articles  answered  very  well, 
as  the  attention  of  all  the  states  was  directed  toward  the 
defeat  of  the  English  soldiers.  At  the  close  of  the  war, 
however,  it  was  found  that  the  country  had  no  real  gov- 
ernment. As  a  well-known  writer  has  said,  "  There  were 
thirteen  separate  and  independent  states,  each  free  to  do 
as  it  pleased.  Each  state  claimed  for  itself  the  right  to 
coin  money,  lay  duties  on  foreign  goods,  to  levy  taxes, 
and  to  raise  and  equip  its  own  army.  There  was  a  loose 
kind  of  union  between  them,  which  did  not  amount  to  a 
good  general  government,  because   it  had  few  of  the 


30  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS.       , 

powers  belonging  to  a  government.  Congress  could  not 
enforce  tax  laws,  nor  coin  money,  nor  do  anything  except 
advise  the  states ;  and  the  states  could  take  the  advice 
or  neglect  it,  just  as  they  pleased. 

"  The  weak  states  were  afraid  of  the  strong  ones,  and 
the  strong  ones  were  jealous  of  each  other.  Each  state 
made  laws  for  itself,  and  these  laws  sometimes  stood  in 
the  way  of  trade  between  different  parts  of  the  country. 
The  states  were  in  a  fair  way  to  quarrel  among  them- 
selves, and  even  to  get  into' wars  with  one  another,  which 
would  have  been  worse  for  them  than  any  foreign  war 
could  have  been."  ^  In  fact,  the  states  were  very  much  in 
the  same  condition  as  the  seven  sons  of  an  old  gentleman, 
who  were  always  quarrelling.  They  left  their  studies 
and  work  to  quarrel  among  themselves.  Some  bad  men 
were  looking  forward  to  the  death  of  the  old  gentleman, 
who  was  very  wealthy,  to  cheat  the  sons  out  of  their 
property  by  making  them  quarrel  about  it.  The  good  old 
man  one  day  called  his  sons  around  him.  He  laid  before 
them  seven  sticks  which  were  bound  together.  He  said, 
*•  1  will  pay  one  hundred  dollars  to  the  one  who  can  break 
this  bundle."  Each  one  strained  every  nerve  to  break 
it.  After  a  long  but  vain  trial  they  all  said  that  it  could 
not  be  done.  "  And  yet,  my  boys,"  said  the  father, 
"  nothing  is  easier  to  do."  He  then  untied  the  bundle 
and  broke  the  sticks,  one  by  one,  with  perfect  ease. 
*  Barnes*  Primary  History. 


x'HE    ARTICLES    OF    CONFEDERATION.  31 

"  Oh !  "  said  his  sons,  "  it  is  easy  enough  to  do  it  so;  any- 
body could  do  it  in  that  way." 

Their  father  replied :  "  As  it  is  with  these  sticks,  so  it 
is  with  you,  my  sons.  So  long  as  you  hold  fast  together 
and  aid  each"  other,  you  will  prosper,  and  none  can  injure 
you.  But  if  the  bond  of  union  be  broken,  it  will  happen 
to  you  just  as  it  has  to  these  sticks  which  lie  here  broken 
on  the  ground." 

Our  forefathers,  like  the  good  old  man  in  the  story, 
saw  that  only  in  union  could  there  be  strength.  The  war 
had  left  a  very  large  public  debt  to  be  paid,  and  there 
was  no  money  with  which  to  pay  it.  The  trade  of  the 
country  was  broken  up,  and  the  people  were  very  poor. 
Congress,  as  the  head  of  the  government  was  called,  might 
make  treaties  with  foreign  nations,  but  it  could  not  com- 
pel the  states  to  abide  by  them ;  and,  of  course,  foreign 
countries  would  not  make  treaties  under  such  circum- 
stances. 

At  this  time  Washington  wrote,  "  The  Confederation 
seems  to  me  to  be  little  more  than  a  shadow  without  the 
substance."  At  another  time  he  said,  "  It  is  a  subject 
of  regret  that  so  much  blood  and  treasure  have  been  lav- 
ished for  no  purpose ;  that  so  many  sufferings  have  been 
encountered  without  compensation ;  and  that  so  many 
sacrifices  have  been  made  in  vain." 

Many  other  prominent  men  were  active  in  preparing 
the  pnblic  mind  for  a  change ;  among  the  most  active 


32  CIYICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

were  James  Madison,  who  was  called  "  the  father  of  the 
Constitution/'  and  Alexander  Hamilton.  Finally  their 
labor  was  rewarded,  and  the  public  was  ready  for  a 
change.  A  convention  was  called,  and  the  following 
gentlemen,  Messrs.  Randolph,  Madison,  Jones,  Tucker, 
and  Lewis,  were  appointed  commissioners  to  meet  other 
commissioners  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  new  govern- 
ment. This  meeting  was  the  means  of  our  having  our 
present  form  of  government,  and  it  was  by  these  com- 
missioners and  the  others  who  met  with  them  that  our 
present  Constitution  was  written  ;  a  Constitution  about 
which  James  Wilson,  who  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  wrote  the  following :  "  Re- 
garding it  in  every  point  of  view  with  a  candid  and 
disinterested  mind,  I  am  bold  to  assert  that  it  is  the  Best 
Form  of  Government  which  has  ever  been  offered 
TO  THE  World." 

Are  you  not  proud,  my  young  American  friends,  that 
it  is  your  country  and  your  government  about  which  such 
good  things  can  be  written  ?  We  hope  to  show  you,  in 
the  remaining  chapters,  how  true  Mr.  Wilson's  words  are'. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    CONSTITUTION. 

A  Constitution  is  the  highest  law  of  a  country.  It  is 
that  which  tells  the  form  of  the  government,  and  also 
tells  just  what  power  each  part  of  the  government  has. 
Hence  it  is  important  that  every  American  should  have 
a  knowledge  of  our  Constitution. 

The  people  who  made  our  Constitution  began  it  as 
follows :  — 

"  We,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a 
more  periecfc  union,  establish  justice,  insure  domestic 
tranquillity,  provide  for  the  common  defence,  promote 
the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty 
to  ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish 
this  Constitution  for  the  United  States  of  America." 

This  is  called  the  Preamble  to  the  Constitution,  because 
It  introduces  or  begins  it,  and  tells  its  object.  You  will 
notice  that  this  preamble  is  something  like  that  written 
by  Philip  Brusque  for  himself  and  the  fisherman. 

Our  forefathers,  at  the  suggestion  of  Thomas  Jefferson, 


84  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

very  wisely  divided  the  government  into  three  depart* 
ments,  called  the  Legislative,  the  Executive,  and  the 
Judicial.  We  shall  hereafter  see  why  it  was  best  so  to 
divide  it. 

The  Legislative  is  the  department  that  makes  the 
laws,  and  is  called  Congress. 

In  the  city  of  Washington,  which  is  the  capital  of  the 
United  States,  there  is  a  very  beautiful  building,  called 
the  capitol,  in  which  Congress  holds  its  meetings. 

Congress  is  composed  of  two  bodies  of  men,  called 
houses.  One  of  these  houses  is  called  the  Senate,  and  the 
other  is  called  the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  Judicial  department  interprets  or  tells  the  mean 
ing  of  the  laws,  and  then  applies  them. 

In  an  absolute  monarchy  the  same  person  makes  the 
laws,  and  also  interprets  them,  or  tells  their  meaning.  If, 
then,  the  monarch  makes  a  law,  and  afterwards  has  it 
brought  before  him  in  a  way  which  he  did  not  expect,  he 
can  say,  "  Oh,  it  does  not  mean  that,  but  means  thus  and 
so." 

You  can  understand  this  better,  perhaps,  if  I  tell  you 
a  story.  An  Irishman  once  opened  a  barber  shop,  and 
hung  up  a  sign  which  read :  "  What  do  you  think,  Paddy 
Magee  will  shave  you  for  nothing  and  give  you  a  drink.'* 
When  Paddy  had  any  customer  he  would  tell  him  that 
the  sign  m^ant  as  follows :  ''  W-h-a-t !  do  you  think 
Paddy  Magee  will  shave  you  for  nothing  and  give  you  a 


THE    CONSTITUTION.  36 

drink  ? "  When  read  this  way  there  was  no  doubt  that 
Pad^y  expected  full  pay  for  his  work. 

Paddy's  sign  was  like  many  of  the  laws  made  by  an 
absolute  monarch.  It  could  be  changed  to  suit  the  occa- 
sion. But  when  one  department  makes  the  laws,  and 
another  department  interprets  them,  everything  must  be 
so  plain  as  to  have  but  one  meaning.  Hence  you  see 
what  a  good  thing  it  is  to  have  the  two  departments.  The 
legislative  department  has  to  make  the  laws  so  plain  that 
not  only  its  members  will  know  what  they  mean,  but  also 
that  there  will  be  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  members 
of  the  judicial  department  as  to  their  mqaning.  Therefore 
all  laws  have  to  be  made  with  great  care. 

The  Executive  is  the  department  that  executes  the 
laws.  The  President  of  the  United  States  is  the  executive. 
We  will  learn  more  of  his  powers  in  another  chapter* 


'      CHAPTER  Vn. 

THE   HOUSE   OF   REPRESENTATIVES. 

The  Constitution  says,—   . 

''The  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed  of 
members  chosen  every  second  year  by  the  people  of 
the  several  states." 

At  the  time  the  Constitution  was  written  there  were 
some  of  the  members  of  the  committee  who  wanted  the 
representatives  elected  for  five  years.  There  were  others 
who  thought  one  year  should  be  the  time.  All  were 
anxious  to  do  what  was  right ;  so,  like  sensible  men,  each 
gave  up  a  little  to  the  other  and,  therefore,  to  please  both 
sides,  it  was  fixed  at  two  years. 

It  was  wise  to  make  it  two  years,  for  now  a  represen- 
tative is  not  elected  for  so  long  a  time  as  to  make  him 
careless  and  too  independent,  nor  is  he  apt  to  abuse  his 
power.  If,  at  the  end  of  two  years,  he  has  shown  by  his 
actions  that  he  is  not  fit  to  represent  the  people,  some  one 
else  can  be  elected  to  take  his  place.  While,  if  he  has 
been  just  the  right  man  in  the  right  place,  the  people  can 


•raS   TTOUSE   OF   REPRESENTATIVES.  87 

m^lect  him  for  another  term.  You  see  a  man  has  this 
re-election  to  look  forward  to,  and,  knowing  that  as  a  rule 
the  men  who  work  the  hardest  for  the  country's  good  are 
the  ones  preferred  for  re-election,  he  will  try  to  do  his 
very  best  for  the  good  of  the  country. 

In  England  they  have  what  is  called  the  House  of 
Commons,  which  many  people  think  is  like  our  House  of 
Representatives.  President  Lincoln  is  said  to  have  asked 
the  following  question  of  some  gentlemen :  "  Gentlemen, 
if  we  were  to  call  a  sheep's  tail  a  leg,  how  many  legs 
would  the  sheep  then  have  ?  "  "  Why,"  said  they,  "  five 
legs,  of  course."  '-'Not  so,  gentlemen,"  answered  Mr. 
Lincoln.  "Why  noH"  asked  they.  "Because,  gentle- 
men, calling  a  sheep's  tail  a  leg  doe3  not  make  it  one'' 

And  so,  calling  the  House  of  Commons  like  our  House 
of  Representatives  does  not  make  it  so.  We  will  notice 
some  things  in  which  they  differ.  The  members  of  the 
English  House  are  elected  for  seven  years,  but  they  seldom 
serve  that  length  of  time,  as  you  will  learn  in  another 
chapter. 

There  is  no  doubt,  however,  but  that  the  House  of 
Commons  is  a  much  more  able  body  of  men  than  the 
House  of  Lords,  which  goes  to  prove  that  the  people  can 
be  trusted  to  select  their  law  makers,  if  they  are  but  given 
the  opportunity  to  do  so.  This  fact  strengthens  our  faith 
in  our  own  form  of  government,  where  all  the  law  makers 


38  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

and  oth^r  officers  of  the  government  are  elected  by  the 
people  or  their  representatives. 

How   indepc  ndent   the  House,   where  every  member 

can  do  as  he  thinks  best,  and,  knowing  that  good  laws 
will  always  please  the  best  and  largest  number  of  men, 
he,  as  a  rule,  tries  to  do  what  is  best  for  the  country. 
The  Constitution  also  says, — - 

'*  No  person  shall  be  a  representative  who  shall  not  have 
attained  to  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  been  seven 
years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  who  shall  not, 
when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  state  in  which 
he  shall  be  chosen." 

Our  forefathers  very  wisely  thought  that  a  man  should 
be  at  least  twenty-five  years  old  before  he  could  be  elected 
to  so  important  a  trust.  By  the  time  a  man  is  twenty- 
five  years  old  he  has  formed  his  character  and  is  old 
enough  to  have  good  judgment. 

In  the  House  of  Commons,  however,  many  of  the 
members  are  only  twenty-one  years  old,  —  mere  boys,  —  to 
make  the  laws  for  one  of  the  largest  countries  in  the 
world. 

It  was  a  good  idea  to  have  it  understood  that  a  man 
when  elected  a  representative  must  be  an  inhabitant  of 
that  state  in  which  he  shall  be  chosen.  Who  knows  the 
wants  of  New  Jersey  as  well  as  a  man  who  lives  in  New 


THE    HOUSE    OF    REPRESENTATIVES.  39 

Jersey?  No  one.  And  that  is  the  reason  the  Constitu- 
tion says  a  representative  must  be  a  citizen  of  the  state  in 
which  he  is  chosen. 

In  England,  a  member  of  the  House  of  Commons  may 
be  chosen  from  any  part  of  Great  Britain.  That  is,  a 
man  living  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  may  be  chosen  to  rep- 
resent Cambridge,  England.  Or  a  man  of  Oxford,  Eng- 
land, may  represent  Dublin,  Ireland.  It  is  not  reasona- 
ble to  suppose  that  a  man  of  Oxford  can  represent  Dublin 
as  well  as  a  man  right  from  Dublin. 

Sometiir\es  it  is  said  that  by  choosing  a  man  from  any 
part  of  the  country,  bette;*  and  more  able  men  will  be 
chosen.  This  is  not  a  good  argument,  for  the  reason  that 
there  never  was,  nor  is  it  likely  there  ever  will  be,  a  state 
having  people  enough  in  it  to  make  a  state,  that  will 
not  have  more  than  enough  men  able  in  every  way  to 
represent  it.  Our  forefathers  had  the  good  sense  to  see 
this  truth. 

Some  of  the  citizens  of  our  country  are  what  are  called 
naturalized  citizens.  You  know  what  an  adopted  child 
is.  Well,  a  man  who  is  a  naturalized  citizen  is  an  adopted 
citizen,  only  it  is  the  country  that  adopts  him.  Before  he 
is  adopted  he  has  to  promise  that  he  will  become  a  citizen 
of  our  country,  fight  for  our  laws  in  time  of  war,  and 
do  all  other  acts  that  a  person  born  a  citizen  is  required 
to  do*.  When  he  has  signed  papers  promising  all  this,  he 
is  made  a  citizen,  entitled  to  all  the  rights  and  privileges 


40  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

of  those  who  are  born  citizens,  except  he  cannot  ever  be 
elected  either  President  or  Vice-President  of  the  country ; 
and  must  have  seven  years'  residence  after  naturalization  to 
be  a  Representative,  and  nine  years  to  be  a  Senator;  pro- 
viding first,  however,  that  before  applying  to  be  natural- 
ized he  has  lived  in  the  country  not  less  than  five  years. 
The  law  also  provides  that  a  declaration  of  intention  to 
become  a  citizen  must  be  made  at  least  two  years  before 
naturalization ;  except  in  the  case  of  those  who  have  been 
honorably  discharged  from  one  year's  service  in  the  army 
or  navy  of  the  United  States.  These  need  no  declaration 
of  intention  and  need  not  prove  more  than  one  year's 
residence. 

In  most  countries  they  will  not  allow  naturalized  citi- 
zens to  hold  office  so  as  to  take  part  in  the  affairs  of  the 
government.  Americans,  however,  are  too  liberal-minded 
to  say  that  no  one  but  American-born  citizens  shall  hold 
office.  Any  thinking  man  (and  they  are  the  ones  to  be 
elected  to  an  office)  cannot  live  in  a  country  twelve  years 
and  not  know  about  its  laws  and  its  form  of  government. 

Another  clause  of  the  Constitution  reads  as  follows  :  — 

"  When  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any 
state,  the  executive  authority  thereof  shall  issue  writs 
of  election  to  fill  such  vacancies." 

This  means  that  if  a  member  of  the  House  dies,  or  for 
any  other  reason  his  seat  becomes  vacant,  the  governor  of 


THE   HOUSE    OF    REPRESENTATIVES.  41 

the  state  which  he  represents,  calls  an  election  for  the 
purpose  of  filling  his  place.  This,  our  forefathers  thought 
the  best  thing  to  do,  because  the  executive  of  a  state,  as 
the  governor  is  called,  will  feel  interested  in  having  the 
state  fully  represented,  and,  therefore,  will  be  verj  prompt 
to  call  an  election.  The  Constitution  also  provides  that 
each  state  shall  have  at  least  one  representative,  and  can- 
not have  more  than  one  for  every  thirty  thousand  people. 
A.S  our  country  increases  in  population,  the  ratio  of  repre- 
sentation changes. 

The  Constitution  provides  that,  —  ' 

"  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  their  speaker 
and  other  officers,  and  shall  have  the  sole  power  of 
impeachment." 

The  speaker  is  the  one  who  presides  over  the  House. 
You  will  understand  what  this  means  when  we  tell  you 
he  is  like  the  president  of  a  literary  society.  This  makes 
the  House  independent.  When  the  House  of  Commons 
elects  a  speaker,  he  cannot  act  until  he  has  been  approved 
of  by  the  king.  In  this,  you  see,  the  House  of  Commons 
is  not  independent,  but  is  really  dependent  upon  the 
king's  will. 

Many  people  do  not  understand  what  is  meant  by 
impeaching  an  officer.  It  is  simply  to  charge  him  with 
crime  or  with  misbehavior  in  office.  It  is  very  much  the 
same  as  an  indictment  by  a  grand  jury.     One  man  thinks 


42  CIVICS    FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

another  man  guilty  of  violating  the  law.  He  appears 
before  the  grand  jury.  The  grand  jury  hear  his  charge ; 
and  if  they  think  the  man  is  guilty,  they  indict  him,  as  it 
is  called.  Then  the  man  has  a  right  to  a  fair  trial  before 
another  jury,  called  the  petit  jury.  So,  when  an  officer 
is  impeached  by  the  House,  he  has  a  trial  before  anothej 
body,  as  we  shall  learn  as  we  advance. 

In  England,  the  House  of  Commons  has  the  power  of 
impeachment,,  and  the  House  of  Lords  tries  the  one  im- 
peached. Notwithstanding  this  you  will  learn  wherein 
our  laws  are  be^tter  than  those  of  England. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

THE   SENATE. 

The  Constitution  says, — 

"  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  shall  be  composed  of 
two  senators  from  each  state,  chosen  by  the  legisla- 
tures thereof  for  six  years,  and  each  senator  shall  have 
one  vote.'* 

The  legislators  of  a  state  are  the  men  who  are  chosen 
by  the  people  to  make  the  state  laws,  for  each  state  has 
.ts  own  home  government,  besides  sharing  in  the  benefits 
of  the  central  or  United  States  government,  of  which  we 
are  talking  :  just  as  each  class  in  a  school  has  its  own 
rules  which  its  members  obey,  besides  obeying  the  rules 
made  by  the  board  of  education  and  the  principal  of  the 
school. 

For  many  reasons  our  forefathers  were  very  desirous 
that  the  best  men  in  our  land  should  be  elected  to  our 
Senate.  There  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be.  In 
the  first  place,  the  people  do,  or  should,  choose  good  mftxi 
for  their  state  legislature ;  and  these  men,  who  come  from 


44  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG    AMERICAISS. 

all  parts  of  the  state,  have  the  choosing  of  the  United 
States  senator. 

There  are  two  senators  from  every  state,  whether  large 
or  small;  thus  Rhode  Island  has  as  many  votes  in  the 
Senate  as  New  York,  which  has  nearly  twenty  times  as 
many  people.  This  was  thought  no  more  than  right, 
because  the  large  states  have  so  much  more  voice  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  than  the  small  states. 

Another  excellent  plan  was  adopted,  as  you  will  see. 
The  senators  are  elected  for  six  years.  Now,  if  at  the  end 
of  six  years  all  the  senators  were  new  men,  who  had  never 
had  any  experience  in  law-making,  what  sad  work  they 
would  make  of  it !  No  one  would  know  how  to  begin. 
Thanks  to  the  wisdom  of  those  who  made  our  Constitu- 
tion, this  cannot  be,  for  the  following  reason. 

When  the  first  senators  were  elected,  they  met  in  the 
capital  of  our  country,  and  were  divided  into  three  classes. 
When  the  Constitution  went  into  effect,  there  were  but 
nine  states  that  had  adopted  it.  There  were  then  eigh- 
teen senators.  These  were  divided  into  the  three  classes, 
■ — six  in  the  first,  six  in  the  second,  and  six  in  the  third. 
According' to  the  Constitution,  the  term  of  the  first  class 
was  to  expire  in  two  years,  the  term  of  the  second  class 
was  to  expire  in  four  years,  and  the  term  of  the  third  class 
was  to  expire  in  six  years.  Remember  this  was  only  to 
be  done  that  one  time.     So  you  see  that  now  every  two 


THE    SENATE.  45 

years  one-third  of  the  senators  are  newly  elected,  while 
two-thirds  are  old  members  and  know  all  about  the  duties 
of  senators.  Everything,  therefore,  moves  off  in  perfect 
order  from  the  very  first  day  they  meet  until  the  close  of 
the  session.  Had  not  our  forefathers  been  so  thoughtful, 
the  whole  Senate  might  be  made  up  of  new  men  every 
six  years ;  and  with  a  number  of  inexperienced  men 
together,  there  is  no  knowing  what  might  be  the  result. 

If  a  senator  dies  or  resigns  his  office,  and  the  legisla- 
ture of  his  state  is  not  in  session,  the  governor  of  the 
state  appoints  some  man  to  act  as  senator  for  that  state, 
until  the  legislature  meets  and  elects  some  one. 

The  Constitution  says, — 

^'  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  who  shall  not  have  attained 
the  age  of  thirty  years,  and  been  nine  years  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States,  and  who  shall  not,  when  elected, 
be  an  inhabitant  of  that  state  for  which  he  shall  be 
chosen." 

You  notice  the  senators  have  to  be  older  than  the  rep- 
resentatives. There  are  many  good  reasons  why  they 
should  be.  As  we  advance,  you  will  learn  that  the  respon- 
sibility of  a  senator  is  greater  than  that  of  a  representa- 
tive, and  for  this  reason  he  should  be  a  man  of  more 
mature  years.  The  senator  must  also  live  in  the  state 
that  chooses  him,  as  he  will  know  the  wants  of  his  own 
state  better  than  one  living  in  another  state. 


46  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

The  House  of  Lords  is  sometimes  said  to  resemble  ouj 
Senate.  You  will  know  how  little  resemblance  there  is 
when  you  have  read  what  is  to  follow. 

The  English  House  of  Lords  is  composed  of  what  are 
called  the  peers,  or  noblemen,  of  England,  sixteen  repre- 
sentative peers  of 'Scotland,  and  twenty-eight  representa- 
tive peers  of  Ireland ;  also  the  bishops  and  archbishops  of 
the  Church  ^f  England.  The  noblemen  receive  different 
titles,  as  duke,  marquis,  earl,  viscount,  and  baron. 

A  man  to  be  elected  to  our  Senate  must  show  some 
talent,  and  not  many,  if  any,  ignorant  men,  or  men  lack- 
ing good,  sound  judgment,  ever  become  members. 

How  different  in  the  House  of  Lords,  where  there  is 
no  choice !  A  person  horn  a  nobleAian,  no  matter  how 
little  good  common  sense  he  may  display,  cannot  be 
deprived  of  his  seat.  Hence  you  see  what  kind  of  people 
may  make  up  the  House  of  Lords. 

If  the  king  desires,  he  has  the  power  to  make  a  com- 
moner^ a  peer,  and  as  late  as  1832  he  exercised  this  power. 
There  was  a  law  the  king  wanted  passed.  The  House  of 
Lords  did  not  think  it  a  good  law,  and  did  not  pass  it. 
The  king  began  to  make  peers  of  the  commoners,  intend- 
ing to  make  peers  enough  to  get  a  majority  in  favor  of  his 
law,  that  it  might  be  passed. 

The   House  of   Lords,  seeing  that  many  were  being 

*  The  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  are  commoners,  as,  if 
fact,  are  all  persons  under  the  degree  of  nobility. 


THE    SENATE.  47 

added  to  their  house,  finally  agreed  to  pass  the  law,  if  the 
king  would  not  make  any  more  peers.  They  then  called 
^j  11^1  and  a  limited  monarchy.  Like  the  man  who  wa> 
being  whipped  by  his  wife,  when  some  one  said  to  him  • 
4'  My  dear  fellow,  why  do  you  stand  still  and  let  your  wife 
whip  you  so  ?  "  "  Oh,"  said  he,  "  it  pleases  wife,  and.  does 
not  hurt  me ;  so  I  let  her  whip."  Thus,  no  doubt, 
thought  the  king,  "It  pleases  the  lords,  and  does  not  hurt 
me ;  therefore,  I  let  them  call  ours  a  limited  monarchy." 
There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  England  is  inclined  to 
become  more  and  more  like  a  democracy,  and  the  time 
may  come  w^ien  it  will  be. 

According  to  the  Constitution,  — 

^  The  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  shall  be  presi- 
dent  of  the  Senate,  but  shall  have  no  vote  unless  the^ 
be  equally  divided." 

If  the  Senate  were  to  choose  one  of  its  own  number 
for  speaker,  or  president,  the  state  which  this  one  repre- 
sented, would  be  deprived  of  one  of  its  senators.  Again, 
the  president  has  more  or  less  power,  and  often  influences 
,the  course  of  legislation ;  therefore,  that  state  would  have 
more  than  its  share  of  power.  The  framers  of  the  Con- 
stitution, ever  thoughtful,  said :  "  We  will  make  the 
Vice-President  of  the  United  States  the  president  of  the 
Senate ;  for  he  belongs  not  to  any  one  state,  but  to 
the  people  at  large,  because  he  las  been  chosen  by  them 


48  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

for  this  high  office.'*  It  is  right,  too,  that  he  should 
have  a  vote,  as  there  is  always  an  even  number  of  sena- 
tors, and  a  time  may  come  when  there  will  be  a  tie  on 
some  question  before  the  Senate.  Days,  perhaps  weeks, 
could  thus  be  wasted,  because  neither  side  would  be  will- 
ing to  yield;  but  the  Vice-President,  having  a  vote,  can 
stop  any  such  thing,  by  voting  with  one  side,  and  thus 
make  a  majority. 

The  Constitution  states  that, — 

"  The  Senate  shall  choose  their  other  officers,  and  also  a 
president  j9ro  tempore  in  the  absence  of  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent, or  when  he  shall  exercise  the  office  of  President 
of  the  United  States." 

Nothing  seems  to  have  been  forgotten.  What  a  wise 
law  this  is!  Just  before  Congress  closes  its  session  the 
Vice-President  retires,  and  then  the  Senate  elects  a  presi- 
dent pro  tempore;  so  that,  should  the  President  of  the 
United  States  die  before  the  next  session,  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent becomes  President  of  the  United  States  and  the 
Senate  can  begin  work  at  once,  as  there  is  a  president  to 
preside. 

The  Constitution  provides  that,  — 

*'The  Senate  shall  have  sole  power  to  try  all  impeach- 
ments. When  sitting  for  that  purpose  they  shall  be 
on  oath  or  affirmation.     When  the  President  of  the 


THE    SENATE.  H^ 

United  States  is  tried,  the  Chief  Justice  shall  preside, 
and  no  person  shall  be  convicted  without  the  concur 
rence  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present." 

There  are  many  wise  provisions  in  this  clause  of  the 
Constitution,  as  we  shall  see.  It  is  much  easier  to  call  a 
man  guilty  of  a  crime,  than  it  is  to  prove  him  guilty.  So 
our  forefathers  placed  the  impeachment  power  in  the 
House,  but  gave  to  the  older  and  more  select  body  the 
power  to  ixy  all  impeachments. 

There  are  people  in  our  country  who  think  that  it  ia 
wrong  to  say,  ''  I  solemnly  swear,"  etc.,  because  the  Bible 
Bays,  "  Swear  not  at  all."  Others  think  that  the  Bible 
means  by  this  not  to  take  the  name  of  God  in  vain.  The 
framers  of  the  Constitution,  being  liberal-minded  men, 
and  not  wishing  in  any  way  to  interfere  with  the  religious 
belief  of  any  one,  said  that  the  words,  "  I  solemnly  sioeaVy' 
or  "I  solemnly  affirm,''  may  be  used. 

During  the  meetings  of  the  committee  that  framed  the 
Constitution,  Benjamin  Franklin  proposed  one  day,  that 
prayer  should  be  resorted  to.  Among  other  things  he 
said  :  "I  have  lived  a  long  time,  and  the  longer  I  live,  the 
more  convincing  proofs  I  see  of  this  truth,  that  God 
GOVERNS  IN  THE  AFFAIRS  OF  MEN.  And  if  a  sparrow  can- 
not fall  without  His  notice,  is  it  probable  that  an  empire 
can  rise  without  His  aid  ?  "  Surely  we  have  every  reason 
to  think  that  Franklin  was  right.     Nothing  seems  to  hav<? 


60  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

been  overlooked.  How  wise  to  have  the  Chief  Justice  pre^ 
side  over  the  Senate  when  the  President  of  the  United  States 
is  on  trial !  Because,  you  remember,  if  the  President  is 
found  guilty,  the  Vice-President  becomes  the  President. 
Think  of  the  temptation,  then,  for  the  Vice-President,  were 
he  presiding,  sometimes  to  decide  points  against  the  Presi- 
dent, hoping  he  may  be  found  guilty.  Our  forefathers 
removed  all  chances  of  temptation  by  requiring  the  Chief 
Justice  to  preside  when  the  President  of  the  United  States 
is  on  trial. 

According  to  the  Constitution,  — 

^Judgment  in  case  of  impeachment  shall  not  extend 
further  than  to  removal  from  office,  and  disqualifica- 
tion to  hold  and  enjoy  any  office  of  honor,  trust,  or 
profit  under  the  United  States ;  but  the  party  convicted 
shall,  nevertheless,  be  liable  and  subject  to  indictment, 
trial,  and  punishment,  according  to  law." 

This  is  another  grand  provision  of  the  Constitution. 
Its  meaning  is,  that,  though  a  man  who  is  impeached 
may  be  tried  and  found  guilty  by  the  Senate,  the  Senate 
can  punish  him  only  by  removing  him  from  office.  Then 
if  his  offence  is  anything  for  which  he  can  be  punished  by 
law,  he  can  have  another  trial  by  jury.  You  learn  from 
this,  that  there  is  only  one  way  by  which  a  man  can  be 
deprived  of  liberty 'or  put  to  death,  and  that  is  after 


THE    SENATE.  51 

he  has  had  a  fair  trial  and  has  been  found  guilty  of  an 
olfence. 

How  different  this  was  in  England !  There  the  House 
of  Lords  might  then  inflict  banishment  from  the  country, 
take  a  man's  property  from  him,  put  him  in  prison,  or 
sentence  him  to  death. 

There  are  many  cases  in  history  of  men  who  have 
worked  hard  for  the  party  which  they  represented,  and 
have  thus  made  enemies,  who,  to  get  them  out  of  the  way, 
have  had  them  impeached,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to 
death.  All  this  because  they  stood  in  the  way  of  the 
wicked  schemes  of  their  opponents  in  office. 

My  young  American  friends,  be  proud  of  the  fact  that 
your  forefathers  were  the  first  ij^  the  world  to  do 

AWAY   WITH    SUCH    A   BAD,  BAD   LAW. 

In  this  country,  an  officer  is  tried  on  an  impeachment. 
If  found  guilty,  he  is  removed  from  office.  He  is  then 
arrested,  if  his  crime  is  one  for  which  it  is  thought  he 
should  be  arrested,  given  a  fair  trial  by  a  court  of  justice, 
and  if  found  guilty,  he  is  punished.  He  has,  however,  a 
trial  by  jury,  the  same  as  any  other  man,  and  hence  his 
political  enemies  have  no  power  over  him. 

The  Constitution  states  that,  — 

"The  time,  place,  and  manner  of  holding  elections  for 
senators  and  representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in 
each  state  by  the  legislature   thereof;   but  Congress 


62  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS, 

may  at  any  time,  by  law,  make  or  alter  such  regula- 
tion, except  as  to  the  place  of  choosing  senators." 

This  is  for  the  following  reason :  Should  the  legisla- 
ture of  a  state  become  disloyal  or  negligent,  and  fail  to 
call  an  election,  Congress  can  do  so,  in  order  to  protect 
itself.  Then,  if  they  do  not  attend  to  it,  Congress  can  set 
a  time,  and  if  they  still  neglect  it,  they  lose  their  repre- 
sentative in  Congress  for  that  term. 

Congress  meets  at  least  once  a  year,  so  there  can  be  no 
chance  for  the  country  to  suffer  from  want  of  legislation. 
The  meetings  begin  on  the  first  Monday  in  December. 

The  Constitution  says,  — 

"  Each  house  shall  be  the  judge  of  the  election  returns, 
and  qualifications  of  its  own  members,  and  a  majority 
of  each  shall  constitute  a  quorum  to  do  business ;  but 
a  smaller  number  may  adjourn  from  day  to  day,  and 
may  be  authorized  to  compel  the  attendance  of  absent 
members  in  such  manner  and  under  such  penalties  as 
each  house  may  provide.'* 

This  is  a  thoughtful  provision,  for  it  might  happen 
that  two  men  from  the  same  state  might  each  claim  to 
have  been  regularly  elected  a  senator  or  representative. 
In  all  such  cases,  you  will  notice,  the  house  to  which  the 
man  claims  to  have  been  elected,  hears  both  sides,  and  then 


THE    SENATE.  53 

determines  who  is  entitled  to  the  seat.  If  some  other  de- 
partment had  the  power  to  determine  who  was  entitled  to 
the  seat,  there  might  be  a  time  when  said  department 
would  be  strongly  partisan,  and  hence  it  would  be 
tempted  to  decide  in  favor  of  the  one  belonging  to  its 
own  party. 

It  is  also  well  that  the  Constitution  requires  a  major- 
ity to  make  the  laws,  for  if  it  did  not,  a  small  number  of 
either  house  might  meet  and  make  bad  laws  to  carry  out 
some  scheme  of  their  own. 

Our  forefathers  thought  that  there  might  come  a  time 
during  some  high  political  excitement,  when  a  majority 
of  either  house  might  stay  away,  thinking  by  so  doing  to 
stop  legislation.  To  prevent  this  they  give  the  minority 
power  to  oblige  the  majority  to  be  present. 

In  England,  the  House  of  Commons  can  do  business 
with  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  the  members 
present.  A  quorum  of  the  House  of  Lords,  including  the 
Chancellor,  is  three  ! 

By  the  Constitution, — 

^^Each  house  may  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings, 
punish  its  members  for  disorderly  behavior,  and,  witli 
the  concurrence  of  two-thirds,  expel  a  member." 

The  framers  of  the  Constitution  showed  their  wisdom 
in  making  each  house  an  independent  body.     The  rules 


64  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS.' 

that  govern  the   house   are   called   Parliamentary  Law. 
These  rules  or  laws  every  member  is  obliged  to  respect. 

•One  important  rule  is,  that  no  bill,  i.e.  a  proposed  law, 
shall  be  passed  without  being  read  before  the  house  three 
times,  and,  furthermore,  the  three  readings  shall  not  take 
place  on  the  same  day. 

It  often  happens  that  a  bill  is  read  which  sounds  as  ii 
,it  would  be  an  excellent  law ;  but  some  wise-head,  who 
thinks  it  over  during  the  night,  surprises  his  fellow-mem- 
bers  in  tiie  morning  by  showing  them  wherein  it  would 
not  be  good  at  all,  but,  in  fact,  would  be  very  bad.  For 
example,  the  captain  of  a  boat  once  made  a  law  (without 
a  third  reading)  which  read  as  follows, — 

^'  The  seats  in  this  cabin  are  reserved  for  ladies.  Gen 
tlemen  are  requested  not  to  occupy  them  until  the  ladies 
are  seated." 

At  the  first  reading  this  sounds  like  a  very  good  law ; 
but  read  it  again  thoughtfully,  and  you  see  it  gives  the 
gentlemen  the  liberty  to  sit  in  the  ladies'  laps! 

How  wise,  too,  is  the  clause  which  requires  a  two* 
thirds  vote  to  expel  a  member.  Rarely  ever  has  one 
party  a  two-thirds  majority,  hence  no  member  can  be 
expelled  on  mere  party  grounds.  Could  a  majority  expel 
a  member,  there  might  be  a  temptation,  during  some  high 
political  excitement,  to  expel  a  member,  (or  members,) 
simply  because  he  was  of  the  opposite  party.  Our  wise 
old  forefathers,  however,  left  no  such  temptation  possible. 


THE   SENATE. 


56 


Again, — 

"  Each  house  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  and 
from  time  to  time  publish  the  same,  excepting  such 
parts  as  may  in  their  judgment  require  secrecy ;  and 
the  yeas  and  nays  of  the  members  of  either  house  on 
any  question,  shall,  at  the  desire  of  one-fifth  of  those 
present,  be  entered  on  the  journal.'* 

This  is  no  inore  than  right,  as  the  congressmen  are 
the  agents  of  the  people,  and  the  people  have  a  right  to 
know  what  their  agents  are  doing. 

The  yeas  and  nays  clause  is  a  thoughtful  one ;  for 
a  man  voting  on  a  bill  will  be  very  careful  if  he  is 
voting  by  yea  or  nay,  as  at  any  time  in  the  future  his 
constituents  can  tell  just  how  he  voted. 

The  yeas  and  nays  are  taken  by  having  the  clerk  call 
the  roll,  and  those  members  who  are  in  favor  of  the  bill, 
when  their  names  are  called,  say  "  yea.'*  Those  who  are 
opposed  to  the  bill,  when  their  names  are  called,  say 
''  nay."  The  answers  are  written  opposite  each  member  s 
name. 

Everything  in  this  free  country  is  done  openly.  Any 
person  may  go  into  either  house  and  stay  as  long  as  he 
may  desire,  excepting  on  rare  occasions,  when,  as  in  time 
of  war,  it  is  thought  best  by  either  house  to  require 
secrecy,  when  they  hold  what  are  called  executive  sessions. 


56  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

In  England,  no  person  can  go  into  the  House  of  Parlia- 
ment without  an  order,  or  pass,  from  some  member,  and 
even  then  all  persons  not  members  must  retire  from  the 
floor  when  a  vote  is  about  to  be  taken.  The  galleries  may 
be  cleared  by  the  Speaker  if  so  requested  by  a  member. 

The  Constitution  provides  that,  — 

"  The  senators  and  representatives  shall  receive  a  com- 
pensation for  their  services,  to  be  ascertained  by  law. 
and  paid  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  United  States. 
They  shall,  in  all  cases,  except  treason,  felony,  and 
breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during 
their  attendance  at  the  session  of  their  respective 
houses,  and  in  going  to  and  returning  from  the  same ; 
and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  house  they 
shall  not  be  questioned  in  any  other  place." 

This  is  one  of  the  most  important  clauses  in  the  Con- 
stitution. If  payment  were  left  with  the  different  states 
it  might  not  always  be  prompt  or  sure,  and  so,  many 
times, ,  the  senators  or  representatives  might  feel  they 
need  not  attend  and  work  for  uncertain  pay.  In  fact, 
there  were  just  such  cases  during  the  Confederation,  and 
our  forefathers,  seeing  the  evils  of  them,  made  the  new 
Constitution  on  a  wiser  plan. 

Again,  if  the  pay  of  the  congressmen  were  left  with 
the  states,  the  national  or  head  government  would  be 
dependent  upon  the  local  or  state  governments.  Thia 
would  be  very  unjust. 


THE    SENATE.  57 

The  members  of  the  houses  in  England  do  not  receive 
my  pay.  The  result  is,  that  the  members  who  are  not 
wealthy  have  to  depend  on  their  wealthy  friends,  and 
oherefore  must  at  all  times  act  to  please  them. 

A  man  who  is  making  the  laws  of  a  nation  should  be 
independent  to  act  as  his  conscience  tells  him,  and  not  as 
some  one  else  may  dictate  to  him. 

The  last  part  of  this  clause  in  our  Constitution  is  as 
important  as  the  first ;  for  how  often  might  a  state  be 
deprived  of  a  representative,  if  he  could  be  arrested  for 
any  petty  offence.  There  might  be  a  time  when  a  law 
ought  to  be  passed  which  a  few  men  did  not,  for  selfish 
reasons,  desire  passed.  To  carry  out  their  selfish  ends 
they  might  have  a  member  arrested  on  some  trifling 
charge,  just  to  keep  him  from  the  house,  that  he  might 
not  vote  for  the  law.  Of  course,  if  a  member  is  guilty 
of  a  high  crime,  he  is  not  fit  to  be  a  congressman,  and  it 
is  right  that  he  be  arrested. 

Our  forefathers  knew  that  a  man  should  not  fear  to 
Bay  just  what  he  thinks,  at  all  times,  about  a  law  or  bill, 
which  may  come  before  the  house  of  which  he  is  a  mem- 
ber, and  in  order  that  he  may  not  fear  to  do  so,  the}^ 
added  this  provision  to  the  Constitution :  "  That  no  person 
shall  be  questioned  in  any  other  place  for  what  he  may 
'5ay  while  making  a  speech  at  debate  in  either  house." 
Freedom  of  speech,  as  they  very  well  knew,  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  good  government. 


58  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

In  England,  a  member  cannot  be  held  for  what  he  says 
in  either  house,  but  if  he  has  the  speech  printed  he  can 
be  prosecuted. 

In  our  country,  a  member  is  free  to  print  all  of  his 
speeches  if  he  so  desire. 

Notice  how  careful  the  framers  of  the  Constitution 
were  to  remove  temptation  from  those  who  were  to  be 
our  congressmen. 

By  a  thoughtful  provision  of  the  Constitution,  — 

"No  senator  or  representative  shall,  during  the  time 
for  which  he  ^yvas  elected,  be  appointed  to  any  civil 
office  under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  which 
shall  have  been  created,  or  the  emoluments  whereof 
shall  have  been  increased  during  such  time ;  and  no 
person  holding  any  office  under  the  United  States,  shall 
be  a  member  of  either  house  during  his  continuance  in 
office." 

This  clause  of  the  Constitution  makes  it  impossible  for 
a  member  of  Congress  to  cause  a  paying  office  to  be 
created  for  his' own  good.  The  country  needs  the  time 
of  the  representatives  to  do  work  for  the  good  of  the 
people,  and  not  for  themselves. 

The  law  makers  should  not  have  anything  else  on 
their  minds  when  making  the  laws  for  a  nation,  thought 
our  forefathers,  and  hence  they  added  the  last  part  of 
(/his  clause,  forbidding  congressmen  to  bold  office. 


THE    SENATE.  59 

In  England,  a  man  while  a  member  of  either  house 
can  hold  an  office  under  the  government. 
The  Constitution  requires  that, — 

"All  bills  for  raising  revenue  shall  originate  in  the 
House  of  Representatives,  but  the  Senate  may  oppose 
or  concur  with  amendments  as  on  other  bills." 

This  clause  means  that  all  bills  for  raising  money, 
that  is,  that  tell  how  the  money  shall  be  raised  for  carry- 
ing on  the  government,  shall  be  first  passed  in  the  House. 
Why  our  forefathers  thought  this  a  wise  thing  is  not 
clear.  Probably  they  thought  that  because  it  is  the  larger 
house  the  bills  would  come  more  directly  from  the  people. 
The  last  part  of  the  clause  is  wise,  as  it  prevents  the 
House  from  having  too  much  power. 

In  England,  all  money  bills  must  originate  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  but  the  House  of  Lords  cannot  change 
them  in  any  way.  This  gives  the  House  of  Commons 
great  power  if  they  choose  to  use  it.  There  are  what  are 
called  "  riders  "  sometimes  added  to  a  bill.  A  "  rider  "  is  a 
part  of  a  bill  that  has  really  no  relation  to  the  main  bill, 
yet  the  bill,  to  be  passed,  must  be  passed  "  rider  "  and  ail- 
Sometimes  the  House  of  Commons  adds  a  "  rider  "  ta 
a  money  bill.  It  may  be  something  which  the  House  of 
Lords  dislikes  very  much,  still  it  cannot  change  the  biU 
Ui  a«ay  way.    It  must  pass  it  or  reject  i^    To  reject  it 


60  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

may  stop  the  payments  of  pensions  or  salaries,  and  thus 
throw  the  country  into  confusion.     Rather  than  do  this 
the  Lords  pass  the  bill,  "rider"  and  all. 
-    We  should  be  proud  to  know  that  one  of  our  houses 
can  never  so  impose  on  the  other. 

Study  the  following  clause  very  carefully,  as  it  tells 
how  the  laws  are  made  by  Congress :  — 

"  Every  bill  which  shall  have  passed  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives and  the  Senate,  shall,  before  it  become 
a  law,  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States;  if  he  approve  he  shall  sign  it,  but  if  not  he 
shall  return  it,  with  his  objections,  to  that  house  in 
which  it  shall  have  originated,  who  shall  enter  the 
objections  at  large  on  their  journal,  and  proceed  to 
reconsider  it.  If,  after  such  reconsideration,  two- 
thirds  of  that  house  shall  agree  to  pass  the  bill,  it 
shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objections,  to  the  other 
house,  by  which  it  shall  likewise  be  reconsidered,  and 
if  approved  by  two-thirds  of  that  house,  it  shall  become 
a  law.  But  in  all  such  cases  the  votes  of  both  houses 
shall  be  determined  by  yeas  and  nays,  and  the  names 
of  the  persons  voting  for  and  against  the  bill  shall  be 
entered  on  the  journal  of  each  house  respectively.  If 
any  bill  shall  not  be  returned  by  the  President  within 
ten  days  (Sundays  excepted)  after  it  shall  have  been 
presented  to  him,  the  same  shall  be  a  law,  in  like 


THE   SENATE.  61 

manner  as  if  he  had  signed  It,  unless  the  Congress,  by 
their  adjournment,  prevent  its  return,  in  which  case  it 
shall  not  be  a  law.  '* 

You  see  by  this  clanse  how  hard  it  is  to  make  a  bad 
law.  In  the  first  place,  the  bill  is  passed  by  one  of  the 
houses.  It  is  then  sent  to  the  other  honse.  If  the  second 
house  passes  it,  then  it  goes  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States.  After  he  has  looked  it  over  carefully,  he 
either  signs  it,  and  it  becomes  a  law,  or  he  vetoes  it, 
that  is,  refuses  to  sign  it,  and  sends  it  back  to  the  house 
that  :first  passed  it.  Now,  before  it  can  become  a  law, 
two-thirds  of  this  house  have  to  favor  it.  Next,  it  is  sent 
to  the  second  house  again,  where  a  two-thirds  vote  is  also 
necessary.  If  the  two  houses  pass  it  a  second  time,  it 
becomes  a  law  without  the  President's  name.  You  also 
notice  that  the  second  time  the  houses  vote  on  the  bill 
they  do  so  by  a  yea  or  nay  vote,  which,  as  we  have  said 
before,  causes  the  members  to  vote  very  thoughtfully. 

In  England,  if  the  king  vetoed  a  bill,  it  could  not  be- 
come  a  law.  This  gave  him  great  power.  It  is  now 
claimed,  ''The  queen  has  no  such  veto.  She  must  sign  her 
own  death-warrant,  if  the  two  Houses  unanimously  sen^l 
it  up  to  her. '  *    They  have  thus  gone  to  the  other  extreme. 

In  order  to  prevent  wrong  legislation,  the  following 
clause  was  added  to  the  Constitution: 


C2  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

"  Every  order,  resolution,  or  vote  to  which  the  concur- 
rence of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  may 
be  necessary  (except  on  a  question  of  adjournment) 
shall  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  ;  and  before  the  same  shall  take  effect,  shall  be 
approved  by  him,  or  being  disapproved  by  him,  shall 
be  repassed  by  two-thirds  of  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives,  according  to  the  rules  and  limitations 
prescribed  in  the  case  of  a  bill." 

If  an  order  or  resolution  could  be  passed  by  Congress, 
without  the  signature  of  the  President,  a  hill  or  matter  of 
great  importance,  might,  by  calling  it  a  resolution  or  order 
become  a  law  without  the  President's  assent. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

WHAT    CONGRESS    HAS    POWER   TO    DO. 

The  Constitution  provides  that, — 

**  Congress  shall  have  power  (1)  to  lay  and  collect  taxes, 
duties,  imposts,  and  excises,  to  pay  the  debts  and  pro- 
vide for  the  common  defence  and  general  welfare  ol 
the  United  States ;  but  all  dixies,  imposts,  and  excises 
shall  be  imiform  throughout  the  United  States."   * 

You  remember  that  during  the  Confederation  Congress 
had  not  this  power,  and  the  result  was  we  had  no  gov- 
ernment. 

•'  [2)    To   borrow   money   on   the   credit  of   the   United 

States." 

During  the  war  of  1812  and  also  during  the  Civil  War 
this  proved  to  be  a  wise  provision,  for  had  Congress  been 
without  this  power  there  would  have  been  no  money  tc 
carry  on  the  .war,  and  we  might  not  to-day  have  been 
living  in  a  republic. 


64  CIYICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

"  (3)  To  regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations,  and 
among  the  several  states,  and  with  the  Indian  tribes." 

This  means  to  make  the  rules  that  must  be  followed 
by  other  nations  who  enter  our  ports.  You  remember 
reading  in  your  history  that,  during  the  Confederation, 
foreign  nations  placed  such  restrictions  as  they  pleased  on 
our  commerce,  but  Congress  had  no  power  to  do  the  same 
with  them,  and  hence  we  were  at  the  mercy  of  those  for- 
eign nations. 

"  (4)  To  establish  a  uniform  rule  of  naturalization,  and 
uniform  laws  on  the  subject  of  bankruptcies  through- 
out the  United  States.'^ 

If  Congress  had  not  this  power  each  state  might  have 
a  different  law  which  would  oftentimes  cause  trouble. 

*f  (5)  To  coin  money,  regulate  the  value  thereof,  and  of 
foreign  coin,  and  fix  the  standard  of  weights  and 
measures." 

If  money  was  not  of  the  same  value  all  over  the  coun- 
try there  would  be  constant  confusion.  If  the  weights 
and  measures  were  not  uniform,  one  state  might  call  ten 
ounces  a  pound,  and  another  state  might  call  twenty 
ounces  a  pound,  which,  of  course,  would  be  a  very  foolish 
and  confusing  condition  of  thinjrs- 


WHAT    CONGRESS    HAS    POWER    TO    DO.  65 

"  (6)  To  provide  for  the  punishment  of  counterfeiting 
the  securities  and  current  coin  of  the  United  States." 

A  man  guilty  of  counterfeiting  the  securities  and 
moneys  of  the  United  States  commits  an  offence,  not 
against  any  one  state,  but  against  the  government ;  hence 
it  is  right  that  the  government  should  have  the  power  to 
provide  for  his  punishment. 

"  (7)    To  establish  post-offices  and  post-roads." 

A  post-road  is  one  over  which  the  mail  is  carried  ;  all 
railroads  are  post-roads. 

"  (8)  To  promote  the  progress  of  science  and  useful  arts, 
by  securing  for  limited  times  to  authors  and  inventors 
the  exclusive  right  to  their  respective  writings  and 
discoveries." 

This  means  to  grant  copyrights  and  patents.  The 
power  is  given  to  Congress  in  order  that  the  copyright 
or  patent  may  be  as  good  and  binding  in  one  state  as 
another.  By  a  copyright  an  author  is  given  the  sole 
right  to  print  and  sell  his  work  in  the  United  States  for 
a  period  of  twenty-eight  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
he  can  have  it  continued  fourteen  years  longer.  An 
inventor's  patent  secures  to  him  the  sole  right  to  make, 
use,  or  sell  his  invention  in  the  United  States  for  a  period 


66  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

of  seventeen  years,  and,  if  renewed,  for  tlie  additional 
period  of  seven  years. 

^'(9)  To  constitute  tribunals  inferior  to  the  Supreme 
Court. 

"  (10)  To  define  and  punish  piracies  and  felonies  com- 
mitted on  the  high  seas,  and  offences  against  the  law 
of  nations. 

"  (11)  To  declare  war,  grant  letters  of  marque  and 
reprisal,  and  make  rules  concerning  captures  on  land 
and  water." 

If  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  should  be  guilty  of 
piracy  or  felony,  foreign  countries  would  hold  the  general 
government  responsible  for  it,  and  not  any  one  state : 
therefore  the  government  should  have  the  power  to  pun- 
ish such  offences. 

To  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal  is  to  grant 
commissions  to  citizens  to  seize  the  property  of  an  enemy 
at  war.  If  individuals  were  to  do  this  of  themselves  they 
could,  if  captured,  be  treated  as  pirates.  But  if  they  have 
these  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal  they  must,  if  captured 
by  the  enemy,  be  treated  as  prisoners  of  w^ar. 

"  (12)  To  raise  and  support  armies  ;  but  no  appropriation 
of  money  to  that  use  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than 
two  years.  ' 

"  (13)    To  provide  and  maintain  a  navy. 


WHAT   CONGRESS   HAS   POWER  TO   DO»  67 

"  (14)  To  make  rules  for  the  government  and  regulation 
of  the  land  and  naval  forces. 

"(15)  To  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute 
the  laws  of  the  Union,  suppress  insurrections,  and  repel 
invasions. 

"  (16)  To  provide  for  organizing,  arming,  and  disciplining 
the  militia,  and  for  governing  such  part  of  them  as 
may  be  employed  in  the  service  of  the  United  States, 
reserving  to  the  states  respectively  the  appointment  of 
the  officers,  and  the  authority  of  training  the  militia 
according  to  the  discipline  prescribed  by  Congress." 

Dr.  Joseph  Alden  says,  when  writing  of  the  above 
powers  of  Congress :  "  Under  the  Confederation,  Congress 
had  no  power  to  raise  armies.  It  had  power  simply  to 
agree  upon  the  number  of  land  forces,  and  to  make  requi- 
sitions from  each  state  for  its  quota.  It  was  the  duty  of 
each  state  to  furnish  its  quota.  Experience  proved  that 
the  system  was  miserably  inadequate." 

If  Congress  had  not  power  to  organize,  arm,  and  disci- 
pline the  militia,  it  would  be  necessary  to  keep  a  standing 
army,  which  would  be  a  great  expense  to  the  government. 

"  (17)  To- exercise  exclusive  legislation  in  all  cases  what- 
soever, over  such  district  (not  exceeding  ten  miles 
square)  as  may,  by  cession  of  particular  states,  and  the 
acceptance  of  Congress,  become  the  seat  of  the  govern- 


68  CIVICS   FOR    YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

ment  of  the  United  States ;  and  to  exercise  like  author- 
ity over  all  places  purchased  by  the  consent  of  the 
legislature  of  the  state  in  which  the  same  shall  be,  for 
the  erection  of  forts,  magazines,  arsenals,  dock-yards, 
and  other  needful  buildings; — and 
'^  To  make  all  laws  which  shall  be  necessary  and  proper 
for  carrying  into  execution  the  foregoing  powers,  and 
all  other  powers  vested  by  this  Constitution  in  the 
government  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  department 
or  officer  thereof." 

This  has  reference  to  the  District  of  Columbia  in 
which  Washington,  the  ca})ital  of  the  United  States,  is 
situated,  and  all  other  property  owned  by  the  govern 
ment.  In  order  that  Congress  may  be  independent,  it 
is  necessary  that  it  should  possess  supreme  authority 
over  the  place  of  its  sessions. 

At  one  time  the  Congress  of  the  Confederation,  during 
its  meetings  in  Philadelphia,  was  surrounded  by  a  mob  of 
mutineers  from  the  Continental  army,  who  were  angry 
because  they  had  not  received  any  pay  for  several  months. 

The  governor  of  the  state  was  so  tardy  about  taking 
any  steps  to  defend  Congress  that  it  adjourned  to  Prince- 
ton, N.  J.  Had  Congress  had  the  power  then  over  its 
place  of  meeting  that  it  now  has,  the  mutineers  would 
have  been  quelled  at  once. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WHAT    CONGRESS    AND    THE    STATES    CANNOT   DO. 

In  this  country  we  have  what  is  called  the  writ  of 
habeas  corpus}  It  is  to  prevent  unjust  imprisonment. 
If  a  man  is  arrested  and  placed  in  prison,  a  writ  of 
habeas  corpus  may  be  sued  out  before  a  legal  judge. 
The  judge,  by  the  "writ  of  habeas  corpus,''  orders  that 
the  arrested  man  be  brought  before  him.  The  man  who 
caused  the  arrest  must  then  show  good  reason  for  it,  or 
the  person  accused  is  discharged.    (See  page  74.) 

Notice  the  following  important  clause  of  the  Constitu- 
tion, — 

"  The  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be 
suspended,  unless  when  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  inva- 
sion the  public  safety  may  require  it.'' 

This  is  a  law  of  which  every  American  should  be 
proud.     In  some  colmtries  men  have  been  kept  in  prison 

^  These  are  two  Latin  words  which  mean,  "you  may  have  the 
bodjo" 


70  CIVICS    FOR    YOUNG    AMERICANS. 

year  after  year  until  they  have  sickened  and  died  with 
broken  hearts,  when  there  was  no  just  cause  why  they 
should  have  been  imprisoned  at  all. 
Again, — 

"  No  bill  of  attainder  or  ex  post-facto  law  shall  be  passed." 

A  bill  of  attainder  is  an  act  of  the  legislature  inflicting 
the  punishment  of  death,  without  trial,  upon  persons  sup- 
posed to  be  guilty  of  high  crimes.  What  a  fearful  law 
this  is  !  Many  men  have  been  made  to  suffer  by  it.  No 
such  bloody  deeds  can  be  done  in  the  United  States,  and 

OURS     IS     THE     FIRST    GOVERNMENT    PROHIBITING    ACTS    OF 

ATTAINDER.     My  youug  Americans,  are  you  not  proud  of 
our  noble  old  forefathers  ? 

An  ex  post-facto  ^  law  is  one  which  renders  an  act 
punishable  after  it  was  done,  which  was  not  punishable 
at  the  time  it  was  committed. 

When  a  law  has  been  made,  it  should  be  published  at 
once,  that  the  people  may  know  what  it  is.  Not,  how- 
ever, as  the  Koman  Emperor,  Caligula,  is  said  to  have 
published  his  laws  ;  (1)  by  having  them  written  in  very 
small  characters  and  (2)  by  having  them  hung  upon  high 
pillars,  so  that  he  could  ensnare  the  people,  which  by  the 
way,  he  often  did.  In  fact,  so  vile  was  he,  that  one  his- 
torian has  said  that    "  his  ferocious  acts  seem  like  the 

*  Meaning  "  after  the  deed  is  done." 


WHAT    CONGRESS   AND    THE    STATES    CANNOT    DO.       71 

wild  freaks  of  a  madman."  If  the  laws  of  this  old  tyrant 
were  unjust,  how  much  more  so  are  those  laws,  that  make 
iin  act  punishable  after  the  deed  is  done,  that  was  not 
unlawful  at  the  time  it  was  committed. 

For  example,  let  us  suppose  that  on  August  first,  John 
Smith,  while  hunting,  shoots  a  deer.  After  the  shooting, 
a  law  is  enacted  making  it  unlawful  to  shoot  deer  on 
August  first,  when  Mr.  Smith  is  arrested  and  put  into 
prison  for  having  shot  the  deer.  How  wrong  such  an 
imprisonment  would  be,  and  how  unjust  the  law  that 
would  make  Mr.  Smith's  act  a  punishable  one !  and  yet 
there  are  countries  that  have  had  these  ex  post-facto 
laws.     Our  Constitution  prohibits  such  injustice. 

The  following  are  wise  provisions  of  the  Constitution 
with  reference  to  the  several  states,  — 

"  (1)  No  tax  or  duty  shall  be  laid  on  articles  exported 
from  any  state. 

"  (2)  No  preference  shall  be  given  by  any  regulation  of 
commerce  or  revenue  to  the  ports  of  one  state  over 
those  of  another ;  nor  shall  vessels  bound  to,  or  from, 
one  state,  be  obliged  to  enter,  clear,  or  pay  duties  in 
another." 

You  remember  how  England  passed  a  law  during  the 
colonial  times,  prohibiting  the  colonies  importing  any- 
thing whatever  from  any  country  in  Europe,  unless  it  was 
shipped  from  an  English  port  and  in  an  English  ship. 


72  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

Our  forefathers,  remembering  this  unjust  law  of  Eng- 
land, determined  that  no  such  law  should  ever  exist 
between  the  states.  The  different  states  are  treated  with 
equal  justice. 

"  (3)  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  treasury  but  in 
consequence  of  appropriations  made  by  law;  and  a 
regular  statement  and  account  of  the  receipts  and 
expenditures  of  all  public  money  shall  be  published 
from  time  to  time."  v 

This  clause  is  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  public 
funds.  Those  who  have  charge  of  the  moneys  will  be 
more  careful  if  they  know  they  must  publish  just  how 
much  money  they  have  received,  and  how  much  paid  out, 
and  for  what  purposes. 

"  (4)  No  title  of  nobility  shall  be  granted  by  the  United 
States,  and  no  person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or 
trust  under  them,  shall,  without  the  consent  of  the 
Congress,  accept  of  any  present,  emolument,  office,  or 
title,  of  any  kind  whatever,  from  any  king,  prince,  or 
foreign  state." 

In  republics  all  men  have  equal  rights.  There  sliould, 
then,  be  no  titles  of  nobility.  If  foreign  nations  could 
confer  titles  of  nobility  on  our  officers,  they  might  be 
offered  sometimes  as  bribes. 


WHAT  CONGRESS  AND  THE  STATES  CANNOT  DO.   73 

You  have  learned  that  Congress  is  forbidden  to  pass 
certain  laws ;  that  prohibition  would  be  of  little  use  if  the 
states  were  not  also  prohibited  from  passing  them.  You 
will  notice  that  the  following  clauses  of  the  Constitution 
make  such  prohibitions  :  — 

'^  (5)  No  state  shall  enter  into  any  treaty,  alliance,  o. 
confederation;  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal; 
coin  money ;  emit  bills  of  credit ;  make  anything  but 
gold  and  silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of  debts ; 
pass  any  bill  of  attainder,  ex  post-facto  law,  or  law 
impairing  the  obligation  of  contracts,  or  grant  any 
title  of  nobility. 

•*  (6)  No  state  shall,  without  the  consent  of  the  Congress, 
lay  any  imposts  or  duties  on  imports  or  exports,  ex- 
cept what  may  be  absolutely  necessary  for  executing 
its  inspection  laws ;  and  the  net  produce  of  all  duties 
and  imposts,  laid  by  any  state  on  imports  or  exports, 
shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  treasury  of  the  United 
States;  and  all  such  laws  shall  be  subject  to  the  re- 
vision and  control  of  the  Congress. 

*  (7)  No  state  shall,  without  the  consent  of  Congress,  lay 
any  duty  of  tonnage,  keep  troops,  or  ships  of  war  in 
time  of  peace,  enter  into  any  agreement  or  compact 
with  another  state,  or  with  a  foreign  power,  or  engage 
in  war,  unless  actually  invaded,  or  in  such  imminent 
danger  as  will  not  admit  of  delay.*' 


T4  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

Although  the  states  are  given  the  power  to  lay 
imposts,  etc.,  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  abuse  this 
])ower,  as  all  such  laws  are  subject  to  the  revision  and 
control  of  the  Congress. 

Note. — The  writ  of  habeas  corpus  is  also  used  when 
a  person  is  detained  for  any  cause,  though;  perhaps,  not 
under  arrest  or  imprisoned.  For  example,  John  Doe  has 
Richard  Roe's  boy  in  his  possession  and  refuses  to  give 
him  up.  ,  Mr.  Roe's  remedy  is  to  sue  out  a  writ  of  habeas 
corpus.  Only  judges  of  a  Court  of  Record  have  the 
power  to  issue  such  writs. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   EXECUTIVE   DEPARTMElTr. 

IVj  yon  know  that  when  your  father  votes,  lie  does  not 
vote  directly  for  the  President  of  the  United  States,  but 
for  men  called  electors,  and  these  vote  for  the  President  ? 
This  method  was  planned  by  our  forefathers,  because 
they  thought  it  would  be  a  surer  way  of  choosing  one  of 
the  best  citizens. 

They  thought  that  if  the  people  of  each  state  were  to 
choose  a  number  of   the  best  citizens  as  electors,  that 
these  electors  could  meet  and  choose  a  President  and  Vice- 
President  better  than  the  people  at  large,  a.nd  so  the  Con 
stitution  provides  that,  — 

"  The  executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  President  of 
the  United  States  of  America.  He  shall  hold  his 
office  during  the  term  of  four  years,  and,  together 
with  the  Vice-President,  chosen  for  the  same  term,  be 
elected  as  follows. 

"  Each  state  shall  appoint,  in  such  manner  as  the  legisla- 
ture thereof  may  direct,  a  number  of  electors,  equaJ 


76  CIVICS   FOR   YOU  AG    AMERICANS. 

to  the  wliole  number  of  senators  and  representatives 
to  which  the  state  may  be  entitled  in  the  Congress ; 
but  no  senator  or  representative,  or  person  holding  an 
office  of  trust  or  profit  under  the  United  States,  shall 
be  appointed  an  elector-" 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  President  to  execute  the  laws. 
The  history  of  past  nations  shows  that  it  is  much  better 
to  have  the  executive  power  in  the  hands  of  a  single  per- 
son. Even  some  of  our  own  states,  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  gave  the  executive  power  into  the  hands  of 
more  than  one  person.  By  reading  the  history  of  Penn- 
sylvania you  will  learn  of  the  evils  resulting  from  that 
plan. 

The  President  is  elected  for  four  years,  but  he  can  be 
re-elected  as  often  as  the  people  choose.  Washington, 
however,  recommended  that  be  never  be  elected  for  more 
than  two  terms.  "  The  weakness  and  wickedness  of  man 
require  that  great  power  should  not  be  in  the  same  hands 
for  any  great  length  of  time." 

The  last  provision  of  this  clause  is  also  a  wise  one ; 
for  a  man  holding  an  office  would  be  tempted  to  vote  for 
one  who  would  keep  him  in  office.  As  it  is,  the  electors 
have  no  interest  of  their  own  in  choosing  the  President. 

These  are  the  rules  laid  down  in  the  Constitution  for 
the  election,— 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT.  77 

«(1)  The  electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  states, 
and  vote  by  ballot  for  President  and  Vice-President,  one 
of  whom,  at  least,  shall  not  be  an  inhabitant  of  the 
same  state  with  themselves ;  they  shall  name  in  their 
ballots  the  person  voted  for  as  President,  and  in  dis- 
tinct ballots  the  person  voted  for  as  Vice-President,  and 
they  shall  make  distinct  lists  of  all  persons  voted  for 
as  President,  and  of  all  persons  voted  for  as  Vice-Presi- 
dent, and  of  the  number  of  votes  for  each,  which  lists 
thiBy  shall  sign  and  certify,  and  transmit  sealed  to  the 
seat  of  the  government  of  the  United  States,  directed 
to  the  president  of  the  Senate ;  the  president  of  the 
Senate  shall,  in  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives,  open  all  the  certificates,  and  the  votes 
shall  be  counted ;  the  person  having  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  votes  for  President  shall  be  the  President,  if  such 
number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  electors 
appointed ;  and  if  no  person  have  such  majority,  then 
from  the  persons  having  the  highest  numbers,  not  ex- 
ceeding three  on  the  list  of  those  voted  for  as  Presi- 
dent, the  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  imme- 
diately, by  ballot,  the  President.  But  in  choosing  the 
President,  the  votes  shall  be  taken  by  states,  the  repre- 
sentation from  each  state  having  one  vote ;  a  quorum 
for  this  purpose  shall  consist  of  a  member  or  members 
from  two-thirds  of  the  states,  and  a  majority  of  all  the 
states  shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.     And  if  the  House 


78  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

of  Representatives  shall  not  choose  a  President  when^ 
ever  the  right  of  choice  shall  devolve  upon  them,  be- 
fore the  fourth  day  of  March  next  following,  then  the 
Vice-President  shall  act  as  President,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  death  or  other  constitutional  disability  of  the  Presi- 
dent. 

"  (2)  The  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes 
as  Vice-President,  shall  be  the  Vice-President,  if  such 
number  be  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  of  electors 
appointed ;  and  if  no  person  have  a  majority,  then 
from  the  two  highest  numbers  on  the  list,  the  Senate 
shall  choose  the  Vice-President :  a  quorum  for  the  pur- 
pose shall  consist  of  two-thirds  of  the  whole  number 
of  senators,  and  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  shall 
be  necessary  to  a  choice. 

^^  (3)  But  no  person  constitutionally  ineligible  to  the  office 
of  President  shall  be  eligible  to  that  of  Vice-President 
of  the  United  States." 

This  clause  is  not  carried  out  as  it  was  intended  to  be. 
For,  you  know,  the  people  now  nominate  their  candidates 
and  vote  for  the  electors,  and  these  are  expected  to  vote 
for  their  candidate.  If,  however,  by  any  action  of  his 
own,  a  candidate  proves  himself  unfit  for  this  high  ofiice, 
the  electors  are  under  no  obligation  to  vote  for  him. 

You  notice  that,  if  the  electors  fail  to  elect  a  President 
the  House  of  Representatives  proceeds  to  elect  one,  be- 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT.  79 

cause,  the  House  of  Representatives  being  the  larger  body 
of  Congress,  the  choice  comes  more  directly  from  the 
people.  The  privilege  of  electing  the  Vice-President, 
when  the  electors  have  failed  to  do  so,  is  given  to  the 
Senate,  because  when  elected  he  becomes  their  presiding 
ofiicer. 

You  may  have  heard  sometime  that  the  candidate 
receiving  the  popular  vote  was  not  after  all  elected  Presi- 
dent. Let  us  see  how  this  is  possible.  We  will  suppose 
there  are  six  states,  say  the  New  England,  which  will 
answer  our  purpose  as  well  as  the  whole  thirty-eight. 

Maine  is  entitled  to    6  electors. 

Vermont  is  entitled  to    4  electors. 

New  Hampshire  is  entitled  to  4  electors. 
Massachusetts  is  entitled  to  14  electors. 
Connecticut  is  entitled  to    o  electors. 

Rhode  Island       is  entitled  to    4  electors. 

Now  we  will  suppose  that  one  party  has  for  a  candi- 
date John  Doe,  and  that  another  party  has  for  a  can- 
didate Richard  Roe.  The  following  table  will  show  the 
result ;  — 


80 


CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 


Name  of  states. 

Votes  cast 
for  Roe 
electors. 

Votes  cast 
for  Doe 
electors. 

Roe's 
majority. 

Doe's 
majority. 

^1 

.  o 
o  a> 

12; -3 

h 

'it ,- 

Ma,me  .... 
Vermont  .     .     . 
New  Hampshire 
Massachusetts  . 
Connecticut .     . 
Rhode  Island    . 

20,000 
10,000 
12,000 
30,000 
20,000 
10,000 

15,000 
11,000 
11,000 
32,000 
15,000 
11,000 

5000 
1000 
5000 

1000 
2000 
1000 

6 
4 
4 
14 
6 
4 

6 
4 
6 

4 

14 

4 

Total    .     .     . 

102,000 

95,000 

11,000 

4000 

38 

16 

22 

You  see  that,  notwithstanding  7000  more  votes  were 
cast  by  the  Roe  party  than  by  the  Doe  party,  Doe  is 
elected  President  because  he  has  the  greatest  number  of 
electors.  It  makes  no  difference  whether  a  man  carries  a 
state  by  one  thousand  or  only  one  majority ;  he  has  the  vote 
of  the  electors  from  that  state.^ 


1  People  have  sometimes  felt  that  the  fraraers  of  the  Constitution 
were  unjust  in  making  it  possible  for  a  man  to  be  elected  President 
of  the  United  States  without  having  received  the  popular  vote.  Let 
us  study  the  plan  carefully,  and  we  shall  find  that  our  forefathers 
were  as  thoughtful  in  this  matter  as  we  have  found  they  were  in 
every  other.  There  were,  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Cleveland's  election, 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  (325)  members  in  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, and  seventy-six  (76)  members  in  the  Senate,  making 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT.  81 

According  to  the  Constitution,  — 

"The  Congress  may  determine  the  time  of  choosing  the 
electors,  and  the  day  on  which  they  shall  give  their 
votes;  which  day  shall  be  the  same  throughout  the 
United  States." 

And  it  also  states  that,  — 

"  No  person  except  a  natural-born  citizen,  or  a  citizen  of 
the  United  States  at  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this 
Constitution,  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  Presi- 
dent ;    neither  shall  any  person   be   eligible   to   that 

in  all  four  hundred  and  one  (401)  representatives  of  the  people  to 
make  their  laws  for  the  country.  Of  these  New  York,  for  example, 
had  thirty-four  in  the  House  and  two  in  the  Senate,  or  -^^j  of  the 
whole  number.  If  New  York  had  had  one-half  of  all  the  members, 
she,  of  course,  would  have  had  one-half  to  say  when  a  new  law  was 
being  made.  Since  she  did  have  ^j  of  the  members  she  had  -^  to 
say. 

Now,  let  us  suppose  that  a  new  law  has  been  passed.  There  is  to 
be  elected  an  executive  to  execute  this  law.  How  much  shall  New 
York  have  to  say  about  this  election?  There  are  to  be  elected  foui 
hundred  and  one  (401)  electors,  and  of  these  New  York  is  entitled 
to  thirty-six  (36),  or  ^^^j  of  the  whole  number.  New  York,  then, 
has  just  as  much  to  say  as  to  who  shall  execute  that  law  as  she  had 
In  making  the  law.  What. can  be  more  just?  We  must  not  lose 
sight  of  the  fact  that  the  President  is  President  of  the  United  States, 
therefore,  the  States,  as  States,  should  have  the  choosing  of  him  for 
his  high  of^ce. 


82  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

office  who  shall  not  have  attained  to  the  age  of 
thirty-five  years,  and  been  fourteen  years  a  resident 
within  the  United  States." 

According  to  law,  the  electors  are  chosen  on  the  Tues- 
day next  after  the  first  Monday  in  the  last  November  of 
each  presidential  term  ;  that  is,  the  gentleman  who  is 
now  President  will  have  served  his  term  of  office  by  the 
following  4th  of  March.  The  electors,  then,  that  are 
to  choose  his  successor  will  be  chosen  on  the  first  Tues- 
day next  after  the  first  Monday  in  the  last  November  of 
his  term. 

According  to  law,  the  electors  meet  to  give  their  votes 
on  the  second  Monday  in  the  last  January  of  each  presi- 
dential term. 

The  electors  meet  in  their  respective  states,  usually  in 
the  state  capitol. 

Only  American  citizens  of  the  United  States  can  be 
elected  President  or  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 
The  exception  named  in  the  Constitution  was  a  compli- 
ment to  those  patriotic  men  who  had  labored  for  the 
country  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  All  of  these 
men  are  now  dead,  and  no  one  but  a  native-born  citizen 
can  be  elected. 

The  Constitution  requires  that,  — • 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT.  83 

'^  In  case  of  the  removal  of  the  President  from  office,  or  of 
his  death,  resignation,  or  inability  to  discharge  the 
powers  and  duties  of  the  said  office,  the  same  shall 
devolve  on  the  Vice-President ;  and  the  Congress  may 
by  law  provide  for  the  case  of  removal,  death,  resigna- 
tion, or  inability,  both  of  the  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent, declaring  what  officer  shall  then  act  as  President, 
and  such  officer  shall  act  accordingly,  until  the  disabil- 
ity be  removed,  or  a  President  shall  be  elected." 

For  many  years  it  was  understood  that  if  the  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President  were  both  removed,  by  death  or 
other  cause,  from  the  office  of  President,  the  president  of 
the  Senate  pro  tempore  should  act  as  President. 

Five  Presidents  have  died  in  office,  viz. :  Harrison, 
Taylor,  Lincoln,  Garfield  and  McKinley,  and  the  following 
Vice-Presidents  became  Presidents,  viz. :  Tyler,  Fillmore, 
Johnson,  Arthur  and  Roosevelt.  More  or  less  anxiety  has 
always  been  felt  when  a  Vice-President  becomes  President, 
as  all  know  it  is  possible  for  the  Vice-President  to  die 
before  his  term  of  office  expires. 

Many  people  felt  that  it  would  hardly  be  just  for  the 
president  of  the  Senate  pro  tempore  to  act  as  President, 
-because  he  might  be  of  one  party  and  the  President  might 
have  been  of  another  party.  The  people  by  their  votes 
might  have  said  they  desired  a  change  of  party.  By 
this  act  it  was  possible  that  there  would  be  no  change, 
therefore  a  new  law  has  been  made. 


84  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

When  a  man  is  elected  President  of  the  United  States, 
he  appoints  nine  men  of  his  party  to  aid  him  in  exe- 
cuting the  laws.  These  men  are  called  the  President's 
Cabinet,  and  are  known  as  the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Treasury,  the  Secretary  of  War,  the  Attor- 
aey-General,  the  Postmaster-General,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  and  the  Secretaries  of  the  Interior,  Agriculture 
and  of  Commerce  and  Labor. 

The  President's  Cabinet,  consisting  of  able  and  well- 
known  men,  and  being  also  of  the  same  party  as  the 
President  and  Vice-President,  it  was  thought  no  more 
than  right  that  should  the  President  and  Vice-President 
both  be  removed  from  office  by  death  or  any  other  cause, 
the  members  of  the  Cabinet  should  be  their  successors. 
And,  hence,  according  to  law  the  first  in  order  is  the 
Secretary  of  State ;  the  succession  then  passes  from  one 
member  of  the  Cabinet  to  another  in  the  following  order : 
(1)  Secretary  of  the  Treasury;  (2)  Secretary  of  War;  (3) 
Attorney-General ;  (4)  Postmaster-General ;  (5)  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  ;  (6)  Secretary  of  the  Interior  . 

The  Constitution  next  provides  that,  — 

*^  (1)  The  President  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  his 
services  a  compensation,  which  shall  neither  be  in- 
creased nor  diminished  during  the  period  for  which 
he  shall  have  been  elected,  and  he  shall  not  receive 
within  that  period  any  other  emolument  from  the 
United  States,  or  any  of  them. 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT.  85 

"(2)  Before  he  enter  on  the  execution  of  his  office,  he 
shall  take  the  following  oath  or  affirmation :  — 

" '  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  faithfully 
execute  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  will,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  preserve,  protect, 
and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States/  " 

This  is  a  wise  provision,  as  it  renders  the  President 
independent  of  Congress.  "If  his  salary  could  be  in- 
creased, he  might  be  tempted  to  conform  to  the  wishes  of 
the  house  to  gain  an  increase  of  income.  If  his  salary 
could  be  diminished,  the  house  might  use  that  power  to 
make  him  subservient." 

All  of  the  Presidents  up  to  the  time  of  General  Grant's 
second  term  received  a  salary  of  $25,000  a  year.  Since 
that  time  they  have  received  $50,000  a  year. 

"  (3)  The  President  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the 
army  and  navy  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  militia 
of  the  several  states,  when  called  into  the  actual  ser- 
vice of  the  United  States ;  he  may  require  the  opinion, 
in  writing,  of  the  principal  officer  in  each  of  the  execu- 
tive departments,  upon  any  subject  relating  to  the  duties 
of  their  respective  offices,  and  he  shall  have  power  to 
grant  reprieves  and  pardons  for  offences  against  the 
United  States,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment." 


86  CIYICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

The  army  and  navy  should  be  under  the  control  of  the 
President,  because  it  is  his  duty  to  see  that  the  hiws  are 
executed.  If  at  any  time  force  is  required,  he  has  the 
military  power  to  assist  him. 

By  the  heads  of  departments  are  meant  the  members 
of  the  President's  Cabinet.  It  was  thought  they  would  be 
more  careful  if  obliged  to  give  their  opmions  in  writing. 

It  is  possible  for  a  man  to  be  found  guilty  of  a  crim» 
when  he  is  innocent.     If   there   was  not  any  pardoning 
power  there  would  be  no  way  of  righting  an  injustice. 

If  the  President  could  pardon  a  man  found  guilty  on 
impeachment,  he  might  be  tempted  to  favor  his  political 
friends,  no  matter  what  their  political  offence  might  be. 

"  (4)  He  shall  have  power,  by  and  with  the  advice  and 
consent  of  the  Senate,  to  make  treaties,  provided  two- 
thirds  of  the  senators  present  concur ;  and  he  shall 
nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of 
the  Senate,  shall  appoint,  ambassadors,  other  public 
ministers  and  consuls,  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and 
all  other  officers  of  the  United  States,  whose  appoint- 
ments are  not  herein  otherwise  provided  for,  and  which 
shall  be  established  by  law :  but  the  Congress  may 
by  law  vest  the  appointment  of  such  inferior  officers, 
as  they  think  proper,  in  the  President  alone,  in  the 
courts  of  law,  or  in  the  heads  of  departments  " 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT-  87 

The  power  to  make  treaties  is  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  President  because  at  all  times  he  is  familiar  with  for- 
eign affairs.  Then,  oftentimes,  it  is  well  to  maintain 
secrecy  while  making  a  treaty.  This  could  not  be  done 
in  large  bodies.  The  President  must  act  with  care,  as  his 
treaties  are  not  binding  upon  the  United  States  till  two- 
thirds  of  the  Senate  agree  to  them. 

By  ambassadors  are  meant  ministers  of  the  highest 
rank.  They  are  sent  by  the  government  to  represent  it, 
and  manage  its  interests  at  the  court  of  some  other  gov- 
ernment. 

Consuls  are  agents  for  the  government.  They  are 
sent  to  foreign  countries  to  look  after,  and  protect  the 
rights,  commerce,  merchants,  and  government  seamen,  and 
attend  to  such  other  duties  as  may  be  given  them. 

These  are  important  positions,  and  good  men  should 
be  chosen  to  fill  them.  For  this  reason  our  forefathers 
thought  best  to  place  their  appointment  in  the  hands 
of  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  the  Senate. 

"(5)  The  President  shall  have  power  to  fill  up  all  vacan- 
cies that  may  happen  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate, 
by  granting  commissions  which  shall  expire  at  the  end 
of  their  next  session." 

It  was  necessary  to  give  this  power  to  the  President, 
in  order  that  all  of  the  departments  of  the  government 
might  at  all  times  be  in  working  order. 


88  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

"  (6)  The  President  shall  from  time  to  time  give  to  the 
Congress  information  of  the  state  of  the  Union,  and 
recommend  to  their  consideration  such  measures  as  he 
shall  judge  necessary  and  expedient ;  he  may,  on 
extraordinary  occasions,  convene  both  houses,  or  either 
of  them,  and  in  case  of  disagreement  between  them, 
with  respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  he  may 
adjourn  them  to  such  time  as  he  shall  think  proper; 
he  shall  receive  ambassadors  and  other  public  minis- 
ters ;  he  shall  take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully 
executed,  and  shall  commission  all  the  officers  of  the 
United  States." 

The  information  is  given  to  Congress  in  the  form  of 
a  written  message  and  is  called,  "The  President's  Mes- 
sage." 

At  the  time  of  the  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  convened  Congress,  which  met 
and  took  action  at  once  to  defend  the  Union.  Had  the 
President  not  been  given  the  power  to  convene  Congress, 
there  is  no  knowing  what  might  have  happened  to  our 
country. 

Our  forefathers  thought  it  wise  that  some  one  person 
be  responsible  for  the  reception  of  ambassadors  and  other 
public  ministers,  and  hence  they  designated  the  President 
as  such  person. 


THE  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT.  89 

( f )  "  The  President,  Vice-President,  and  all  civil  officers  of 
the  United  States,  shall  be  removed  from  office  on  im- 
peachment for,  and  conviction  of,  treason,  bribery,  or 
other  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors." 

By  this  clause  officers  are  plainly  told  upon  what 
ground  they  may  be  impeached.  This  was  in  order  that 
no  officer  should  be  impeached  by  an  ex  post-facto  law. 
We  will  see  in  another  chapter  what  is  meant  by  treason 
and  bribery. 

In  England,  the  king  is  the  executive.  "  He  appoints 
his  ministers,  who  perform  all  executive  acts  in  his  name, 
and  are  responsible  to  the  nation.  It  is  a  maxim  of  the 
English  Constitution  that  '  the  king  can  do  no  wrong ' ; 
but  if  his  ministers  do  wrong  "  (even  though  they  act  to 
please  the  king)  '^  they  cannot  plead  the  king's  commands 
in  justification,"  ^  but  are  held  responsible  to  the  country 
themselves. 

You  may  have  heard  people  say  that  it  is  bad  for  our 
country  to  have  a  change  in  administrators  so  often, 
meaning  every  four  years.  Just  notice  carefully  what  is 
to  follow,  and  you  will  learn  how  much  better  off  our 
country  is,  in  this  respect,  than  England.  "  The  ministers 
are  termed  the  administrators  in  England.  The  character 
of  the  administration  depends  upon  the  character  of  the 
majority  of  the  House  of  Commons.     If  a  majority  of  the 

*  Alden's  Science  of  Government. 


90  CIVICS   FOR   YOUXG   AMERICANS. 

House  are  Whigs,^  the  administration  will  be  a  Whig  ad 
ministration  ;  that  is,  the  king  will  send  for  a  leading  Whig 
statesman,  and  tell  him  to  form  an  administration.  He 
selects  such  men  for  his  associates  as  he  thinks  best,  and 
they  are  appointed  by  the  king.  The  person  who  forms 
the  administration  is  called  the  Prime  Minister,  and 
selects  his  office,  commonly  that  of  the  first  Lord  of  the 
Treasury. 

"  The  cabinet,  or  cabinet-council,  consists  of  such  of  the 
prominent  ministers  as  are  more  immediately  in  the  con- 
fidence of  the  king,  who  are  sum.moned  to  consult  upon 
executive  matters. 

"  If,  while  a  Whig  ministry  is  in  power,  the  political 
character  of  the  House  of  Commons  should  change,  and 
a  majority  become  Tories,  one  of  two  things  would  take 
place.  The  ministers  would  resign  and  a  Tory  adminis- 
tration be  formed,  or  Parliament  ivould  he  dissolved  and 
a  new  election  held.  If,  in  the  new  Parliament,  the 
majority  were  Whigs,  the  ministers  would  remain  in  office ; 
if  not,  they  would  resign.  Thus,  while  the  ministers  are 
said  to  hold  office  at  the  will  of  the  king,  they  really  hold 
office  at  the  will  of  the  majority  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. Changes  in  the  administration  are  consequently 
more  frequent  in  England  than  in  the  United  States."  ^ 

*  The  "Whigs  are  those  who  advocate  popular  rights.     The  Torieg 
are  those  who  support  the  king  in  his  high  claims. 
« Alden. 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

THE  JUDICIAL   DEPARTMENT. 

We  are  now  to  learn  of  the  most  important  depart- 
ment, the  judicial. 

The  Congress  makes  the  laws,  the  judiciary  depart- 
ment interprets  and  applies  those  laws.  The  rights  of 
the  people  then  depend  more  upon  the  ability  and  hon- 
esty of  the  judges  than  upon  any  other  department  of  the 
government.  There  can  be  no  prosperity  in  a  govern- 
ment where  justice  is  not  to  be  had.  The  judiciary  de- 
partment has  the  administering  of  justice  in  its  hands. 
Our  forefathers  knew  this,  and  for  that  reason  they  were 
careful  to  make  the  judicial  an  able  and  independent  de- 
partment, and  hence  provided  that, — 

"(1)  The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  be 
vested  in  one  Supreme  Court,  and  in  such  inferior 
courts  as  the  Congress  may  from  time  to  time  ordain 
and  establish.  The  judges,  both  of  the  Supreme  and 
inferior  courts,  shall  hold  their  offices  during  good 
behavior,  and  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  their 


92  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

services  a  compensation,  which  shall  not  be  diminished 
during  their  continuance  in  office." 

You  learn  from  this  clause  how  the  judges  are  made 
independent  of  all  political  parties.  Their  office  depends 
on  their  own  good  behavior.  As  long  as  they  are  honest 
and  upright  there  is  no  earthly  power  that  can  remove 
them.  If  they  are  not  honest  and  upright,  they  can  be 
impeached  by  the  House,  and,  after  trial  by  the  Senate, 
can  be  removed  from  office.  Another  wise  provision  is 
that  which  says  their  compensation^  i.e.  their  salary,  can- 
not be  diminished  during  their  continuance  in  office,  so 
there  is  no  temptation  for  Congress  to  try  to  starve  them 
to  do  as  they  might  desire  them.  You  remember  that  in 
the  colonial  times  the  judges  held  their  offices  at  the  will 
of  the  king.  This  is  yet  true  in  many  monarchial  govern- 
ments. It  is  a  sad  condition  of  things,  and  we  should 
all  be  thankful  that  our  forefathers  showed  such  wisdom 
when  forming  this  portion  of  our  Constitution. 

The  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  is  composed 
of  one  chief-justice,  and  eight  associate  justices.  The 
chief -justice  receives  a  salary  of  $10,500  a  year,  and  the 
associate  justices  receive  each  $10,000  a  year 

The  other  officers  of  the  national  courts  are  the  attor- 
ney-general, the  district-attorneys,  the  marshals,  and  the 
clerks,  each  of  whom  has  his  own  particular  duties  to 
perform. 


THE   JUDICIAL    DEPARTMENT  93 

"  (2)  The  judicial  power  shall  extend  to  all  cases,  in  law 
and  equity,  arising  under  this  Constitution,  the  laws 
of  the  United  States,  and  treaties  made,  or  which  shall 
be  made,  under  their  authority;  to  all  cases  affecting 
ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls;  to 
all  cases  of  admiralty  and  maritime  jurisdiction ;  to 
controversies  to  which  the  United  States  shall  be  a 
party ;  to  controversies  between  two  or  more  states ; 
between  citizens  of  different  states ;  between  citizens 
of  the  same  state  claiming  lands  under  grants  of 
different  states,  and  between  a  state,  or  the  citizens 
thereof,  and  foreign  states,  citizens,  or  subjects." 

You  notice  by  this  clause  that  the  United  States  courts 
have  jurisdiction  in  nine  subjects. 

Suppose  a  state  should  coin  some  money,  and  put  it 
into  circulation.  A  buys  goods  of  B  and  offers  him  some 
of  the  coin  in  payment  for  the  goods.  B  refuses  to  take 
it.  A  refuses  to  give  any  other  money.  B  brings  suit  to 
recover  his  debt,  and  the  state  courts  decide  against  B. 
He  would  then  appeal  to  the  United  States  court.  This 
court  would  decide  that  the  state  law  making  the  coin 
lawful  money  was  unconstitutional,  and  therefore  null 
and  void.  This  would  be  a  case  arising  under  the  Con- 
stitution. 

Again,  suppose  a  man  from  our  country  goes  to  Eng- 
land, and  on  his  return  endeavors  to  smuggle  some  goods. 


94  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

The  goods  are  seized  and  kept  by  the  government.  This 
would  be  a  case  arising  under  the  laws  of  the  United 
States. 

"Again,  suppose  a  treaty  existed  between  Great  Brit- 
ain and  the  United  States,  in  which  the  latter  engaged 
to  prohibit  the  exportation  of  arms  to  Ireland.  A  citizen 
of  New  York  is  detected  shipping  arms  to  Ireland.  He 
is  arrested  and  tried  by  the  United  States  court,  and 
punished."  ^  This  would  be  a  case  arising  under  a  treaty 
made. 

Again,  if  an  ambassador  or  any  other  public  ministt;r 
or  consul  should  be  sent  to  this  country  from  some  foreign 
country,  he  would  not  be  subject  to  our  laws,  but  to  the 
laws  of  his  own  country.  There  are  laws  of  nations, 
however,  to  which  all  countries  are  alike  subject.  If  any 
judicial  question  affecting  an  ambassador,  consul,  or  min- 
ister should  arise,  it  would  be  brought  before  the  United 
States  court.  This  would  be  a  case  arising  under  those 
affecting  ambassadors,  etc. 

Again,  if  the  United  States  was  at  war  with  another 
country,  and  a  vessel  of  the  United  States  captured  a 
vessel  at  sea  which  was  thought  to  belong  to  the  enemy, 
but  claimed  that  it  did  not,  the  United  States  court  would 
decide  the  question.  This  would  be  a  case  arising  under 
the  admiralty. 

'  Alden, 


THE    JUDICIAL    DEPARTMENT.  95 

Again,  a  railroad  buys  some  land  of  the  United  States 
and  fails  to  pay  for  it.  The  United  States  can  bring  a 
suit  against  the  railroad  corporation,  and  compel  the 
payment.  This  is  necessary  in  order  that  the  government 
may  protect  its  rights. 

Two  states  may  be  having  a  controversy  about  their 
boundary  lines.  In  order  that  a  settlement  may  be  had, 
one  state  sues  the  other  in  the  United  States  court,  where 
the  question  is  finally  settled. 

From  these  explanations  you  will  have  an  idea  of  the 
authority  or  commission  of  the  United  States  court. 

"  (3)  In  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public 
ministers  and  consuls,  and  those  in  which  a  state  shall 
be  a  party,  the  Supreme  Court  shall  have  original 
jurisdiction.  In  all  the  other  cases  before  mentioned, 
the  Supreme  Court  shall  have  appellate  jurisdiction, 
both  as  to  law  and  fact,  with  such  exceptions  and 
under  such  regulations  as  the  Congress  shall  make." 

By  original  jurisdiction  is  meant  that  in  which  a  suit 
originates  or  commences.  By  appellate  jurisdiction  is 
meant  that  to  which  the  decision  of  an  inferior  court 
is  taken  on  appeal.  You  will  notice  there  are  only 
a  few  cases  in  which  actions  can  be  commenced  in  the 
Supreme  Court,  i.e.  those  that  l^ave  at  first  to  do  with 
the  general  government.     The  piincipal  business  of  this 


9t)  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

court  is  to  review  cases  tnat  have  been  tried  in  lower 
courts.  When  the  Supreme  Court  decides  a  case,  then  it 
-^an  go  no  farther.     Both  parties  must  be  content. 

*'  (4)  TJie  trial  of  all  crimes,  except  in  cases  of  impeach- 
ment, shall  be  by  jury ;  and  such  trial  shall  be  held  in 
the  state  where  the  said  crimes  shall  have  been  com- 
mitted ',  but  when  not  committed  within  any  state,  the 
trial  shall  be  at  such  place  or  places  as  the  Congress 
may  by  law  have  directed." 

No  man  can  be  convicted  unless  all  of  the  jurors  agree 
that  he  is  guilty. 

It  is  right  that  a  man  be  tried  in  the  state  where  the 
crime  is  committed.  Otherwise,  a  poor  man  in  New 
Jersey  might  be  sued  by  a  rich  man,  and  the  suit  might 
be  taken  to  California.  The  accused  might  not  be  able 
to  secure  the  attendance  of  his  witnesses,  and  thus  be 
unable  to  defend  hifnself. 

Our  forefathers  were  no  respecters  of  persons. 
"  All  men  are  created  equal  "  was  their  doctrine 
And  they  so  framed  the  Constitution  that  every 

WORD  IN  IT  IS  NOT  FOR  ANY  PARTICULAR  CLASS,  B^^T  FOli 
ALL  ALIKE. 


CHAPTER  Xm. 


MISCELLANEOUS    PROVISIONS. 


When  reading  the  history  of  England  and  other  for- 
eign countries,  we  are  made  to  shudder  at  the  acts  of 
some  of  the  old  rulers.  Many  times  people  have  been 
accused  of  treason  for  a  great  variety  of  acts.  When  a 
?man  did  anything  to  displease  a  ruler,  it  was  a  common 
thing  to  charge  him  with  treason,  and  then  convict  him, 
and  next,  to  punish  him  according  to  law.  This  punish- 
ment was  often  fearful.  (1)  The  offender  was  dragged 
to  the  gallows.  (2)  He  was  hanged  by  the  neck,  but  was 
cut  down  while  alive.  (3)  His  entrails  were  taken  out 
and  burned  while  he  was  living.  (4)  His  head  was  cut 
off.  (5)  His  body  was  divided  into  four  parts.  (6)  These 
four  parts  were  then  given  to  the  king  to  do  as  he  saw  fit 
with  them. 

Our  forefathers  knew  of  all  these  things,  and  hence 
they  thought  best  to  have  it  understood  just  what  treason 
against  the  United  States  is ;  therefore  the  Constitution 
says,  — 


98  CIVICS    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

"  (1)  Treason  against  the  United  States  shall  consist  only 
in  levying  war  against  them,  or  in  adhering  to  their 
enemies,  giving  them  aid  and  comfort.  No  person 
shall  be  convicted  of  treason  unless  on  the  testimony 
of  two  witnesses  to  the  same  overt  act,  or  on  confes- 
sion  in  open  court. 

"  (2)  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  the  pun* 
ishment  of  treason,  but  no  attainder  cf  treason  shall 
work  corruption  of  blood  or  forfeiture,  except  during 
the  life  of  the  person  attainted." 

Sometimes  men  were  tortured  until  they  confessed 
they  were  guilty  of  treason.  Then  they  were  convicted 
and  dealt  with  as  described.  In  our  country  a  confession 
in  open  court  can  be  taken  as  testimony  against  a  man, 
or  there  must  be  at  least  two  witnesses  to  prove  him 
guilty  of  treason  before  he  can  be  convicted. 

Congress  has  made  a  law  that  a  person  guilty  of  trea- 
son shall  be  put  to  death  by  hanging. 

By  corruption  of  blood  a  person  is  disabled  from  inherit- 
ing lands  from  an  ancestor ;  nor  can  he  either  retain  those 
in  his  possession,  or  transmit  them  by  descent  to  his  heirs. 
That  is,  B  is  convicted  of  and  punished  for  treason.  A, 
who  is  B's  father,  is  worth  a  large  property.  After  B  is 
punished  by  being  hung,  A  dies.  Then  C  and  D,  who 
are  the  children  of  B,  cannot  inherit  their  grandfather's 


MISCELLANEOUS    PROVISIONS.  99 

property  because  their  father  was  hanged  for  treason. 
Think  of  living  in  a  country  where  anything  so  unjust 
is  lawful !  Our  forefathers  prevented  any  such  innocent 
suffering  in  our  country  by  adding  this  wise  provision  to 
the  Constitution :  "  No  attainder  of  treason  shall  work 
corruption  of  blood  or  forfeiture,  except  during  the  life  of 
the  person  attainted." 

In  order  that  each  state  could  have  full  faith  in  each 
of  the  other  states  our  forefathers  provided  that, — 

^'  (1)  Full  faith  and  credit  shall  be  given  in  each  state  to 
the  public  acts,  records,  and  judicial  proceedings  of 
every  other  state.  And  the  Congress  may  by  general 
laws  prescribe  the  manner  in  which  such  acts,  rec- 
ords, and  proceedings  shall  be  proved,  and  the  effect 
thereof." 

This  means  that  each  state  must  have  full  faith  in  each 
of  the  other  states ;  then  if  a  case  has  been  tried  in  one 
state  and  an  attempt  is  made  to  bring  the  same  matter 
into  the  court  of  another  state,  the  person  who  was  sued 
may  procure  the  record  of  the  former  trial,  and  that  will 
put  an  end  to  the  proceedings. 

"  (2)  The  citizens  of  each  state  shall  be  entitled  to  all 
privileges  and  immunities  of  citizens  in  the  several 
states. 


100  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

•*  (3)  A  person  charged  in  any  state  with  treason,  felony, 
or  other  crime,  who  shall  flee  from  justice,  and  be 
found  in  another  state,  shall  on  demand  of  the  execu- 
tive authority  of  the  state  from  which  he  fled,  be 
delivered  up,  to  be  removed  to  the  state  having  juris- 
diction of  the  crime." 

If  it  were  not  for  this  clause  a  person  might  commit 
some  crime  in  one  state,  and  then  flee  to  another  state, 
where  he  would  be  free.  The  dishonest  men  of  our  coun- 
try now  flee  to  Canada.  It  being  a  foreign  country,  they 
cannot  there  be  arrested  by  us  (certain  crimes  excepted). 

"  (4)  New  states  may  be  admitted  by  the  Congress  into 
this  Union ;  but  no  new  state  shall  be  formed  or  erected 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  any  other  state ;  nor  any 
state  be  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  more  states, 
or  parts  of  states,  without  the  consent  of  the  legisla- 
tures of  the  states  concerned  as  well  as  of  the  Con- 
gress. 

"(5)  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  dispose  of  and 
make  all  needful  rules  and  regulations  respecting  the 
territory  or  other  property  belonging  to  the  United 
States ;  and  nothing  in  this  Constitution  shall  be  so 
construed  as  to  prejudice  any  claims  of  the  United 
States,  or  of  any  particular  state." 


MISCELLANEOUS    PROYISlONS.  105  ' 

The  first  clause  is  just,  as  Congress  should  determine 
what  states  are  to  make  up  the  government  over  which  it 
is  to  have  charge. 

Had  not  Congress  any  power  over  the  territories  they 
might  be  in  the  hands  of  lawless  men  in  a  very  short  time. 
In  each  territory  there  is  a  governor  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States  and  the  Senate ;  a  legisla- 
ture, which  is  chosen  by  the  people ;  and  one  or  more 
judges,  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States 
and  Senate. 

Each  territory  has  the  right  to  choose  a  man  as  a  dele 
gate,  who  has  a  seat  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  and 
can  take  part  in  debates  relating  to  the  territory,  but  is 
not  entitled  to  a  vote. 

That  each  state  may  feel  that  it  is  protected  against 
foreign  and  domestic  foes,  — 

*'(6)  The  United  States  shall  guarantee  to  every  state  in 
this  Union  a  republican  form  of  government,  and  shall 
protect  each  of  them  against  invasion,  and  on  applica- 
tion of  the  legislature,  or  of  the  executive  (when  the 
legislature  cannot  be  convened),  against  domestic  vio- 
lence." 

All  of  the  states  are  here  bound  to  help,  protect,  and 
defend  each  and  every  state  in  time  of  need. 


102'  civics    FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

"  (7)  The  Congress,  whenever  two-thirds  of  both  houses 
shall  deem  it  necessary,  shall  propose  amendments  to 
this  Constitution,  or,  on  the  application  of  the  legis- 
latures of  two-thirds  of  the  several  states,  shall  call  a 
convention  for  proposing  amendments,  which,  in  either 
case,  shall  be  valid,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as  part 
of  this  Constitution,  when  ratified  by  the  legislatures 
of  three-fourths  of  the  several  states,  or  by  conventions 
in  three-fourths  thereof,  as  the  one  or  the  other  mode 
of  ratification  may  be  proposed  by  the  Congress :  pro- 
vided that  no  state,  without  its  consent,  shall  be  de- 
prived of  its  equal  suffrage  in  the  Senate." 

This  was  a  wise  clause.  Had  there  been  no  provisions 
for  amendments,  the  Constitution  would  have  been  faulty; 
because  it  has  been  necessary  to  add  fifteen  of  them,  as 
you  will  see  in  a  future  chapter. 

"  (8)  All  debts  contracted-  and  engagements  entered  into 
before  the  adoption  of  this  Constitution  shall  be  as 
valid  against  the  United  States  under  this  Constitu- 
tion as  under  the  Confederation." 

Here  our  noble  old  forefathers  showed  their  honesty 
of  purpose.  They  might  have  ignored  any  debts  of  the 
Confederation  by  assuming  that  it  was  a  government  of 
the  past,  and  therefore  had  nothing  in  common  with  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    PROVISIONS.  103 

present  government.     They  were,  however,  too  noble  to 
take  any  such  action. 

"(9)  This  Constitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  which  shall  be  made  in  pursuance  thereof,  and 
all  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made,  under  the 
authority  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  the  supreme 
law  of  the  land ;  and  the  judges  in  every  state  shall 
be  bound  thereby,  anything  in  the  Constitution  or 
laws  of  any  state  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding." 

After  reading  this  clause  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  Constitution  is  the  supreme  law  of  the  land. 

^^  (10)  The  senators  and  representatives  before  mentioned, 
and  the  members  of  the  several  state  legislatures,  and 
all  executive  and  judicial  officers,  both  of  the  United 
States  and  of  the  several  states,  shall  be  bound  by  oath 
or  affirmation  to  support  this  Constitution ;  but  no 
religious  test  shall  ever  be  required  as  a  qualification 
to  any  office  or  public  trust  under  the  United  States." 

There  had  been  too  much  suffering,  both  in  England 
and  in  this  country,  on  account  of  religious  persecution, 
for  our  forefathers  to  forget  this  clause  when  framing  the 
Constitution. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE   AMENDMENTS. 


You  remember  learning  in  your  history  of  the  perse* 
cutions  to  which  the  people  of  the  colonies  were  sub- 
jected. It  is  not  surprising  then  that  when  the  first 
Congress  met  the  people  insisted  on  some  amendments 
being  made  to  the  Constitution ;  because  it  was  generally 
felt  that  the  Constitution  did  not  sufficiently  protect  the 
rights  of  the  people.  They  wished  to  be  secured  certain 
rights  beyond  the  possibility  of  being  encroached  upon  by 
Congress.  The  following  ten  articles  of  amendments  were 
made  during  the  first  session  of  the  first  Congress  under 
the  Constitution :  — 

"Article  I. 

"  Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establish- 
ment of  religion ;  or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof ; 
or  abridging  the  freedom  of  speech,  or  of  the  press ;  or 
the  right  of  the  people  peaceably  to  assemble,  and  to  peti- 
tion the  government  for  a  redress  of  grievances. 


THE    AMENDMENTS.  105 

"Article  II. 

"  A  well-regulated  militia  being  necessary  to  the  secu- 
rity of  a  free  state,  the  right  of  the  people  to  keep  and 
bear  arms  shall  not  be  infringed. 

^^  Article  III. 

"  No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  in  any 
house  without  the  consent  of  the  owner,  nor  in  time  of 
war  but  in  a  manner  to  be  prescribed  by  law. 

"Article  IV. 

"The  right  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  per- 
sons, houses,  papers,  and  effects,  against  unreasonable 
searches  and  seizures,  shall  not  be  violated,  and  no  war- 
rants shall  issue  but  upon  probable  cause,  supported  by 
oath  or  affirmation,  and  particularly  describing  the  place 
to  be  searched,  and  the  persons  or  things  to  be  seized. 

"Article  V. 

"  No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  capital,  or 
otherwise  infamous  crime,  unless  on  a  presentment  or  in- 
dictment of  a  grand  jury,  except  in  cases  arising  in  the 
land  or  naval  forces,  or  in  the  militia,  when  in  actual  ser- 
v^ice  in  time  of  war  or  public  danger ;  nor  shall  any  person 
be  subject  for  the  same  offence  to  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy 
of  life  or  limb;  nor  shall  be  compelled  in  any  criminal 


106  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

case  to  be  a  witness  against  himself,  nor  be  deprived  of 
life,  liberty,  or  property  without  due  process  of  law ;  nor 
shall  private  property  be  taken  for  public  use  without 
just  compensation. 

"Article  VI. 

"  In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  enjoy 
the  right  to  a  speedy  and  public  trial  by  an  impartial  jury 
of  the  state  and  district  wherein  the  crime  shall  have  been 
committed,  which  district  shall  have  been  previously  ascer- 
tained by  law,  and  to  be  informed  of  the  nature  and  cause 
of  the  accusation ;  to  be  confronted  with  the  witnesses 
against  him ;  to  have  compulsory  process  for  obtaining 
witnesses  in  his  favor,  and  to  have  the  assistance  of  coun- 
sel for  his  defence. 

"Article  YII. 

"  In  suits  at  common  law,  where  the  value  in  contro* 
versy  shall  exceed  twenty  dollars,  the  right  of  trial  by 
jury  shall  be  preserved,  and  no  fact  tried  by  a  jury  shall 
be  otherwise  re-examined  in  any  court  of  the  United 
States  than  according  to  the  rules  of  the  common  law. 

"Article  VIII. 

"Excessive  bail  shall  not  be  required,  nor  excessive 
fines  imposed,  nor  cruel  and  unusual  punishments  in- 
flicted. 


THE    AMENDMENTS.  107 

"Article  IX. 

"  The  enumeration  in  the  Constitution  of  certain  rights 
shall  not  be  construed  to  deny  or  disparage  others  retained 
by  the  people. 

"Article  X. 

"The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by 
the  Constitution,  nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  states,  are 
reserved  to  the  states  respectively,  or  to  the  people.'* 

There  is  no  country  in  the  world  that  furnishes  greater 
security  for  personal  liberty  than  is  furnished  by  these 
provisions  in  our  Constitution. 

The  things  that  are  forbidden  in  them  have  often 
taken  place  in  other  countries.  Our  forefathers,  know- 
ing that  human  nature  is  the  same  in  all  ages,  were  de- 
termined they  should  never  lawfully  take  place  in  our 
country. 

During  the  Civil  War,  you  remember.  President  Lin- 
coln abolished  slavery.  It  was  necessary,  however,  for 
Congress  to  amend  the  Constitution,  so  as  to  sanction  the 
act.  Therefore,  in  December,  1865,  the  following  amend- 
ment was  adopted,  — 

"Article  XIII. 

"  (1)    Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as 
a  punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have 


108  CIVICS   FOB  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

been   duly  convicted,  shall   exist  within   the   United 
States,  or  any  place  subject  to  their  jurisdiction. 
*  (2)    Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  bj 
appropriate  legislation." 

In  1868  another  amendment  was  adopted  which  reads 

as  follows,  — 

"Article  XIV. 

**  All  persons  born  or  naturalized  in  the  United  States,  and 
subject  to  the  jurisdiction  thereof,  are  citizens  of  the 
United  States  and  of  the  state  wherein  they  reside. 
No  state  shall  make  or  enforce  any  law  which  shall 
abridge  the  privileges  or  immunities  of  citizens  of  the 
United  States ;  nor  shall  any  state  deprive  any  person 
of  life,  liberty,  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law, 
nor  deny  any  person  within  its  jurisdiction  the  equal 
protection  of  the  laws." 

Still  another  section  was  added  for  the  purpose  of 
declarhig  liow  the  representatives  should  be  apportioned 
among  the  states,  and  also  to  protect  the  freedmen.  It 
reads  as  follows, — 

"Representatives  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  several 
states  according  to  their  respective  immbers,  counting 
the  whole  number  of  persons  in  each  state,  excluding 
Indians  not  taxed.     But  when  the  right  to  vote  at  any 


THE   AMENDMENTS.  109 

election  for  the  choice  of  electors  for  President  and  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States,  representatives  in  Con- 
gress, the  executive  and  judicial  officers  of  a  state,  or 
the  members  of  the  legislature  thereof,  is  denied  to  any 
of  the  male  inhabitants  of  such  state,  being  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  and  citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in 
any  way  abridged,  except  for  participation  in  rebellion 
or  other  crime,  the  basis  of  representation  therein  shall 
be  reduced  in  the  proportion  which  the  number  of  such 
male  citizens  shall  bear  to  the  whole  number  of  male 
citizens  twenty-one  years  of  age  in  such  state.'* 

It  was  thought  best  to  punish  in  some  way  those  men 
vA)  t  had  once  been  in  Congress,  and  at  the  opening  of 
tLo  Civil  War,  took  part  against  the  government.  The 
following  section  was  adopted  for  that  purpose, — 

"  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  or  representative  in  Con- 
gress, or  elector  of  President  and  Vice-President,  or 
Qold  any  office,  civil  or  military,  under  the  United 
States,  or  under  any  state,  who,  having  previously 
taken  an  oath,  as  a  member  of  Congress,  or  as  an  offi- 
cer of  the  United  States,  or  as  a  member  of  any  state 
legislature,  or  as  an  executive  or  judicial  officer  of  any 
tftate,  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
shall  have  engaged  in  insurrection  or  rebellion  against 
Uie  same,  or  given  aid   or  comfort   to   the  enemies 


110  CIVICS   FOR  YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

thereof.     But  Congress  may,  by  a  vote  of  two-thii  da 
of  each,  house-,  remove  such  disability." 

Notice  the  last  sentence  in  this  clause.  It  shows  yoy 
how  willing  one  American  is  to  overlook  tht*  faults  of 
another  if  he  shows  he  is  sorry  for  what  he  has  done. 
"  Forgive,  if  ye  wish  to  be  forgiven." 

In  order  that  there  should  never  be  any  question  as  tc 
the  payment  of  any  loss  to  those  who  fought  against  the 
government,  and  also  no  questions  as  to  the  rights  of  everj 
citizen,  white  or  black,  to  vote,  Congress  adopted  the  foL 
lowing,  — 

"  The  validity  of  the  public  debt  of  the  United  States^ 
authorized  by  law,  including  debts  incurred  for  payment 
of  pensions  and  bounties  for  services  in  suppressing  insur- 
rection or  rebellion,  shall  not  be  questioned.  But  neither 
the  United  States  nor  any  state  shall  assume  or  pay  any 
debt  or  obligation  incurred  in  aid  of  insurrection  or 
rebellion  against  the  United  States,  or  any  claim  for  the 
loss  or  emancipation  of  any  slave  \  but  all  such  debts, 
obligations,  and  claims  shall  be  held  illegal  and  void. 

"  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce,  by  appro- 
priate legislation,  the  provisions  of  this  article." 

'*  Article  XV. 
"(1)   The  right  of   citizens  of   the  United  States  to 


THE   AMENDMENTS.  Ill 

vote  shall  not  be  denied  or  abridged  by  the  United  States, 
or  by  any  state,  on  account  of  race,  color,  or  previous 
condition  of  servitude. 

"  (2)  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this 
article  by  appropriate  legislation." 

These  are  all  the  amendments  that  have  as  yet  been 
added  to  the  Constitution,  excepting  the  XI.  and  XII. 
The  XII.  is  given  on  i:>age  77.  It  was  adopted  in  1804 
and  is  a  great  improvement  on  the  original  clause.  Look 
up  the  original  and  see  if  you  do  not  think  so. 

The  eleventh  amendment  was  adopted  in  1798  as  a 
restriction  upon  the  judicial  power.    It  reads  as  follows : 

"  The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be 
construed  to  extend  to  any  suit,  in  law  or  equity,  com- 
menced  or  prosecuted  against  one  of  the  United  States 
by  citizens  of  another  state,  or  by  citizens  or  subjects  of 
any  foreign  State." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

POLITICAL   PARTIES. UNITED    STATES    CAPITALS. 

"  When"  the  Constitution  was  presented  to  the  states  for 
adoption  it  met  with  decided  opposition  from  a  large  part 
of  the  people  '  who  were  opposed  to  conferring  so  much 
power  upon  the  general  government ' ;  and,  '  in  the  differ- 
ences in  opinion  between  its  friends  and  opponents  origi- 
nated the  two  great  political  parties  into  which  the  people 
were  divided  during  a  period  of  about  thirty  years.'  The 
friends  of  the  Constitution,  '  regarding  its  adoption  indis- 
pensable to  the  Union,  took  the  name  of  Federalists,  and 
bestowed  upon  the  other  party  that  of  Anti-Federalists, 
intimating  that  to  oppose  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution, 
was  to  oppose  any  union  of  the  states.'  The  Federal 
party  embraced  a  large  number  of  the  ablest  statesmen  of 
that  period,  including  Washington,  Hamilton,  Adams, 
Jay,  and  Marshall ;  while  in  the  opposite  ranks  were  those 
known  as  Anti-Federalists,  or  Republicans^  under  the 
leadership  of  Jefferson,  George  Clinton,  Burr,  and  others. 
*In  the  contests  of  the  French  Revolution,  the  Federal- 
ists leaned  to  the  side  of  England,  the  Republicans  to  that 


POLITICAL    PARTIES.  113 

of  France.'  The  opposition  of  the  Federalists  to  the  war 
of  1812,  the  favor  they  extended  to  the  Hartford  Conven- 
tion, and  other  causes,  contributed  to  their  destruction, 
and  in  1820  the  party  was  disbanded. 

"The  two  elections  of  Jefferson  and  the  two  of  Madison 
were  triumphs  of  the  Republicans.  The  two  of  Monroe 
may  also  be  regarded  as  triumphs  of  the  same  party, 
though  party  lines  were  almost  obliterated,  the  first  years 
of  Monroe's  administration  being  known  as  'the  era  of 
good  feeling./  The  nomination  of  John  Quincy  Adams 
was  supported  by  a  union  of  Republicans  with  most  of  the 
old  Federalists.  The  presidential  contest  of  1828,  *the 
moifi  bitter  in  American  history/  was  largely  of  a  per- 
sonal character.  The  candidates  were  Adams  and  Jack- 
son, the  latter  succeeding.  '  The  Jackson  party  being,  for 
the  most  part,  the  old  Republican  party,  took  the  name 
of  Democrats,  while  their  opponents  assumed  the  name  of 
Whigs.'  The  former,  during  Jackson's  first  term,  took 
ground  against  the  re-chartering  of  the  United  States 
Bank,  and  afterward  against  a  high,  or  '  protective  tariff.' 
The  Whigs  favored  these  measures.  '  The  election  of 
Van  Buren.was  a  continuation  of  Jackson's  policy  ; '  that 
of  Harrison  was  a  triumph  of  the  Whigs. 

"In  the  presidential  contest  of  1844,  the  Democratic 
party  favored  Hhe  annexation  of  Texas,'  as  also  'the 
claim  to  Oregon  as  far  north  as  54  degrees  40  minutes. 
Their  rallying  cry  was   54-40,  or  fight.'       They  elected 


114  CIVICS   FOR   YOUNG   AMERICANS. 

James  K.  Polk  over  Henry  Clay,  the  candidate  of  the 
Whigs.  In  the  contest  of  1848,  a  third  party,  composed 
mostly  of  northern  men,  who  were  '  opposed  to  the  exten- 
sion of  slavery  into  the  territory  of  the  United  States/ 
and  known  as  the  Free  Soil  Party,  nominated  Martin  Van 
Buren.  General  Taylor,  the  Whig  candidate,  was  elected. 
In  the  contest  of  1852,  the  candidate  of  the  Democrats 
was  Franklin  Pierce  ;  that  of  the  Whigs  was  General 
Winfield  Scott ;  Mr.  Pierce  was  elected."  —  Andersons 
U.  S.  History. 

Before  the  next  election  the  Whig  party  ceased  to  exist, 
and  two  new  parties  came  into  being,  the  Republican  and 
the  American ;  making  altogether  three  parties.  The 
American  party  wanted  none  but  native-born  citizens  to 
hold  political  offices,  and  its  members  also  favored  a  longer 
residence  in  the  United  States  on  the  part  of  persons  of 
foreign  birth,  before  allowing  them  to  be  naturalized. 
Buchanan,  who  was  elected,  was  the  candidate  of  the 
Democratic  party. 

At  the  next  election  there  were  four  candidates.  The 
slavery  question  was  the  all-important  one.  The  Demo- 
cratic party  was  still  the  strongest  one,  but  its  members 
became  divided  on  the  slavery  question.  The  northern 
Democrats  nominated  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  of  Illinois; 
and  the  southern  Democrats  nominated  John  C.  Breckin- 
ridge, of  Kentucky.  The  northern  Democrats  believed  in 
letting  all  new  states  say  whether  they  were  to  be  admitted 


POLITICAL  PARTIES.  115 

as  slave  states  or  not ;  while  the  southern  portion  of  the 
party  claimed  that  neither  Congress  nor  the  people  of  a 
territory,  who  desired  to  be  admitted  as  a  state,  had  the 
right  to  prohibit  slavery  in  any  territory. 

The  American  party  nominated  John  Bell,  of  Tennes- 
see ;  their  platform  was  "  The  Union,  the  Constitution, 
and  the  Enforcement  of  the  Laws." 

The  Republican  party  was  opposed  to  slavery  and  de- 
sired to  exclude  it  from  the  territories  at  any  cost.  Mr. 
Lincoln,  who  was  elected,  was  the  candidate  of  the 
Republicans. 

During  Lincoln's  administration  the  Civil  War  occurred. 
When  Lincoln  was  assassinated,  Andrew  Johnson  became 
President.  At  the  close  of  Johnson's  term  the  contest 
mainly  turned  upon  the  right  of  Congress  to  establish 
laws  for  the  admission  of  the  Southern  States  to  the 
Union.  The  Democrats  nominated  Horatio  Seymour, 
ex-governor  of  New  York,  and  the  Republicans  nomi- 
nated General  U.  S.  Grant,  who  was  elected. 

At  the  next  election  there  was  a  new  party  formed, 
known  as  the  Liberal  Republican  Party,  which  nominated 
Horace  Greeley,  of  New  York.  These  were  men  who 
were  opposed  to  Grant's  administration.  The  Democrats 
had  no  candidate,  but  indorsed  Mr.  Greeley.  General 
Grant  was  re-elected.  The  next  three  Presidents,  R.  B. 
Hayes,  James  A.  Garfield,  and  Chester  A.  Arthur,  were 
Republicans. 


116  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

In  1884  the  Republicans  nominated  James  G.  Blaine, 
of  Maine;  the  Democrats,  Grover  Cleveland  of  New  Yoi  k; 
the  People's  Party,  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  of  Massachu- 
setts; the  Prohibition  Party,  John  P.  St.  John,  uf  Kan- 
sas. Mr.  Cleveland  was  elected.  In  1888  Benjamin  Har- 
rison, of  Indiana,  was  nominated  by  the  Republicans;  Mr. 
Cleveland  being  re-nominated  by  the  Democrats.  Clinton 
B  Fisk,  of  New  Jersey,  was  nominated  by  the  Prohi- 
bition party.  Mr.  Harrison  was  elected.  In  1892  Mr. 
Cleveland  and  Mr.  Harrison  were  re -nominated.  James 
B,  Weaver  was  nominated  by  the  People's  party,  which, 
among  other  things,  asked  that  mints  should  be  free  to 
coin  all  silver.  The  Democrats  elected  Mr.  Cleveland. 
In  1896  Wm.  J.  Bryan,  of  Nebraska,  was  nominated  l)y 
the  Democrats,  the}'  declaring  for  free  coinage  of  silver 
at  the  ratio  of  16  to  1.  The  Republicans  nominated 
Wm.  McKinley,  of  Ohio,  and  declared  for  the  gold  stan- 
dard. Mr.  McKinley  was  elected.  These  men  were  re- 
nominated in  1900.  Mr.  McKinley  was  again  elected.  At 
his  death  Theodore  Roosevelt,  of  New  Yoik,  became 
President.  In  1904  Mr.  Roosevelt,  Republican,  and  Al- 
ton B.  Parker  of  New  York,  Democrat,  were  the  candi- 
dates. Mr.  Roosevelt  was  elected.  At  this  election  the 
Prohibition  party  nominated  Silas  C.  Swallow;  the  Pop- 
ulist, Thomas  E.  Watson;  the  Socialist,  Eugene  V.  Debs. 


UNITED    STATES    CAPITALS.  Il7 

Perhaps  the  following  facts  will  be  of  interest  to 
you :  — 

''  Philadelphia  was  the  first  capitaJ  of  the  United 
States,  Congress  being  in  session  in  that  city  when  the 
Independence  of  the  states  was  declared.  A  little  more 
than  five  months  after  that  event,  while  the  British 
forces  were  advancing  through  New  Jersey  towards  the 
Delaware  River,  Congress  adjourned  to  Baltimore  (Decem- 
ber, 1776),  but  returned  to  Philadelphia  less  than  three 
months  later  (March,  1777).  On  the  approach,  by  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  of  the  British  army  under  Howe,  Congress 
adjourned  at  first  to  Lancaster,  Pa.  (Sept.  27th  to  30th, 
1777),  and  then  to  York,  Pa.  (Sept.  30th) ;  but  after  the 
British  evacuated  Philadelphia,  Congress  returned  to  that 
city  (July,  1778),  which  city  continued  to  be  the  capital  till 
June,  1783,  when  Congress  adjourned  to  Princeton,  N.  J. 
(June  30),  and,  in  November  of  the  same  year,  to  Annap- 
olis, Md.  The  next  session  was  opened  at  Trenton,  N.  J. 
(Nov.  30, 1784),  but  in  January,  1785,  Congress  adjourned 
to  New  York.  In  1790,  the  seat  of  government  was 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  in  1800,  to  Washington 
City,  where  it  has  remamed  ever  since/' 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CONCLUSION. 

We  said  we  lioped  to  make  you  understand  why  our 
form  of  government  is  the  best  in  the  world.  Have  we 
not  done  so  ?  We  have  no  Ivan  who  can  murder  his  sub- 
jects and  go '  unpunished.  We  have  no  King  John  who 
can  imprison  us  at  his  will  or  murder  innocent  little  boys. 
We  have  no  Queen  Elizabeth  to  dictate  how  we  shall  wor- 
ship the  ever-living  and  true  God.  None  such  are  found 
in  this  glorious  republic  in  which  the  supreme  power  is 
vested  in  the  people.  We  have  a  government  so  organ- 
ized that  its  rulers  cannot,  for  any  length  of  time,  materi- 
ally err.  We  have  a  Constitution  which  is  acknowledged 
by  all  to  be  a  masterpiece.  With  the  most  of  this  Couv 
stitution  you  are  now  familiar.  In  the  last  pages  of  any 
good  United  States  History  are  to  be  found  all  of  the 
clauses  of  the  Constitution  in  regular  order.  These,  it 
is  hoped,  you  will  carefully  read,  as  you  can  now  do  so 
understandingly. 

And  now,  my  young  friends,  we  desire  to  impress  upon 
you  this  solemn  truth.    The  good  or  evil  of  this  model 


CONCLUSION. 


119 


COUNTRY  IS  IN  TOUR  HANDS.  Only  a  few  years  must 
pass  before  all  who  are  now  occupying  the  positions  of 
trust  and  honor  will  be  no  more,  and  you  are  to  fill  their 
places.  The  boys  of  to-day  are  to  be  the  men  of  twenty 
years  hence.  Are  you  going  to  be  ready  ?  Will  you  see 
to  it  that  only  honest,  upright  men  are  placed  in  office  ? 
If  so,  you  will  hold  the  Union  where  you  find  it,  the  best 
government  in  the  world. 

Be  always  true  to  God,  your  country,  your  neighbor, 
and  yourself.  You  will  thus  "be  prepared  for  death, 
and  life  or  death  will  thereby  be  the  sweeter." 

Can  you  not  now  appreciate  our  national  hymn  as  you 
never  have  before  ? 


2. 


My  country,  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty, 

Of  thee  I  sing  : 
Land  where  my  fathers  died, 
Land  of  the  pilgrims'  pride, 
From  every  mountain  side, 

Let  freedom  ring  1 

My  native  country,  thee  — 
Land  of  the  noble  free  — 

Thy  name  I  love  : 
I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills ; 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills 

Like  that  above. 


3.  Let  music  swell  the  breeze, 
And  ring  from  all  the  trees 

Sweet  freedom's  song ! 
Let  mortal  tongues  awake ; 
Let  all  that  breathe  partake ; 
Let  ocks  their  silence  break, - 

The  sound  prolong  1 

4.  Our  fathers'  God,  to  thee, 
Author  of  liberty. 

To  thee  we  sing : 
•Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light ; 
Protect  us  by  thy  might. 

Great  God,  our  King  I 

S,  F.  Smitq. 


PRESIDENTS  AND  VICE-PRESIDENTS 


NO. 

PRESIDENTS 

INAUGURATED 

VICE-PRESIDENTS 

1. 

George  Washington 

April  30,  1789 

John  Adams 

2. 

John  Adams 

March  4,  1797 

Thomas  Jefferson 

3. 

Thomas  Jefferson 

March  4,  1801 

j  Aaron  Burr 
(  George  Clinton 

4. 

James  Madison 

March  4,  1809 

\  George  Clinton 
^  Klbridge  Gerry 

5. 

James  Monroe 

March  4,  1817 

Daniel  D.  Tompkins 

6. 

John  Q.  Adams 

March  4,  1825 

John  C.  Calhoun 

7. 

Andrew  Jackson 

March  4,  1829 

John  C.  Calhoun 
Martin  Van  Buren 

8. 

Martin  Van  Buren 

March  4,  1837 

Richard  M.  Johnson 

9. 

Wm.  H.  Harrison 

March  4,  1841 

John  Tyler 

10. 

John  Tyler 

April  6,  1841 

11. 

James  K.  Polk 

March  4,  1845 

George  M.  Dallas 

12. 

Zachary  Taylor 

March  5,  1849 

Millard  Fillmore 

13. 

Millard  Fillmore 

July  10,  1850 

14. 

Franklin  Pierce 

March  4,  1853 

Wm.  R.  King 

15. 

James  Buchanan 

March  4,  1857 

John  C.  Breckinridge 

16. 

Abraham  Lincoln 

March  4,  1861 

Hannibal  Hamlin 
Andrew  Johnson 

17. 

Andrew  Johnson 

April  15,  1865 

18. 

Ulysses  S.  Grant 

March  4,  1869 

j  Schuyler  Colfax 
(  Henry  Wilson 

19. 

Rutherford  B.  Hayes 

March  5,  1877 

Wm.  A.  Wheeler 

20. 

James  A.  Garfield 

March  4,  1881 

Chester  A.  Arthur 

21. 

Chester  A.  Arthur 

Sept.  20,  1881 

22. 

Grovcr  Cleveland 

March  4,  1885 

Thomas  A.  Hendricks 

23. 

Benjamin  Hlrrison 

March  4,  1889 

I^evi  P.  Morton 

24. 

Grover  Cleveland 

March  4,  1893 

Adlai  K.  Stevenson 

25. 

William  McKinley 

March  4,  1897 

Garret  A.  Hobart 

26. 

William  McKinley 

March  4,  1901 

Theodore  Roosevelt 

27. 

Theodore  Roosevelt 

Sept.  14, 1901 

28. 

Theodore  Roosevelt 

March  4, 1905 

Chas.  W.  Fairbanks 

£1201 


APPENDIX 


CONTAINING 


EXPLANATIONS  OP  STATE,  COUNTY,  CITY,  TOWN 
AND  TOWNSHIP  GOVERNMENTS 


ALSO 


CHAPTERS  CONTAINING  SUGGESTIVE  REVIEW  QUESTIONS 

AMONG  WHICH  ARE  MANY  FACTS  NOT 

FOUND  IN  THE  TEXT 


In  preparing  the  following"  pages  the  writer  has  been  materially 
assisted  by  borrowing,  **with  thanks,**  from  various  authors. 

Chicago,  January  6, 1905. 

H.G.P. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

INTRODUCTION. 

In  1775,  the  Continental  congress  was  asked  to  advise  the 
people  of  Massachusetts.  The  citizens  of  that  state  had  imprisoned 
their  governor  and  assumed  the  management  of  that  colony. 
Congress  advised  the  formation  of  a  temporary  government  until 
the  king  should  restore  the  old  charter.  This  was  done,  and  by 
the  spring  of  1776  not  only  Massachusetts  but  all  of  the  thirteen 
colonies  had  formed  a  similar  government. 

Eeconciliation  being  impossible,  the  colonies  took  the  final 
step  by  passing  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Then  the 
states,  that  had  not  already  done  so,  adopted  constitutions  and 
organized  permanent  governments.  All  of  the  other  states,  except 
Texas,  were  formed  out  of  the  territory  already  owned  or  acquired 
by  the  United  States,  and  admitted  into  the  union  by  acts  of 
Congtess.     (See  page  100). 

From  history  and  geography  it  is  learned  that  our  country 
at  first  extended  only  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  that  it  now  reaches  from  ocean  to  ocean.  This  addi- 
tional area  was  not  all  acquired  at  one  time  nor  in  the  same  way. 
Prosperous  farmers  often  buy  tracts  of  land  from  their  neighbors, 
to  give  a  farm  to  a  son,  or  to  get  another  right  of  way  to  another 
public  highway;     so  our  country  has,  for  various  reasons  and  at 


INTRODUCTION.  123 

different  times,  purchased  land  from  other  countriet  -wnich  claimed 
owneri^hip  by  right  of  discovery  and  exploration.  Another  way 
bj  which  territory  has  been  acquired  is  by  conquest,  that  means 
territory  conquered  and  occupied  while  at  war  with  other  nations, 
and  is  retained  as  a  part  of  the  United  States  by  terms  of  settle- 
ment at  the  close  of  tlie  war.  Still  another  way  is  for  a  country 
that  is  independent  to  ask  admission' as  a  state  or  organization  as 
a  territory,  and  to  have  the  request  granted,  thus  becoming  a 
part  of  the  United  States.  (Examples  of  the  last  mentioned  are 
Texas  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands). 

Any  tract  of  land,  however  obtained,  that  is  to  be  permanently 
a  part  of  the  United  States,  is  organized  into  one  or  mure  terri- 
tories. The  people  of  the  territory  are  protected  by  the  nation 
and  enjoy  perfect  liberty  and  freedom,  and  have  all  the  ad- 
vantages of  commerce,  education,  etc.,  that  are  enjoyed  by  the 
states,  but  have  no  voice  in  making  laws  of  the  United  States,  or 
in  electing  the  President,  or  even  their  own  governor  and  judges. 
(See  page  101.)  Territories,  therefore,  always  desire  to  be  ad- 
mitted into  the  Union  as  a  state  as  soon  as  possible,  and  they  early 
instruct  their  delegates  to  apply  for  adlnission. 

Before  any  territory  is  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  state 
its  citizens  are  instructed  by  an  act  of  Congress  to  draft  a  consti- 
tution which,  in  its  general  features,  is  similar  to  that  of  thQ 
United  States,  and  contains  nothing  that  is  contrary  to  it.  The 
republican  form  of  government  guaranteed  to  every  state,  and  the 
right  of  the  people  as  specified  in  the  national  constitution,  are 
thus  made  doubly  secure.  Wlien  the  constitution  is  ratified,  the 
citizens  are  authorized  to  elect  state  officers,  judges  of  the  state 
courts,  representatives  in  Congress,  etc.     After  all  this  has  been 


124  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

done  and  the  President  properly  notified,  it  is  his  duty  to  issue  a 
proclamation  announcing  that  all  the  requiremients  for  admission 
have  been  complied  with  and  that  the  territory  now  becomes  one 
of  the  states  of  this  great  Union. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SUBDIVISIONS. 


In  no  great  country  in  the^  world  has  the  individual,  man, 
woman,  or  child,  as  much  influence  in  the  control  of  governmental 
affairs,  both  local  and  general,  as  in  the  United  States.  This  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  local  government  is  entirely  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  states.  That  places  directly  on  its  citizens  the 
responsibility  which  has  been  still  more  localized  by  the  states 
being  divided  and  subdivided  into  various  divisions  for  Federal 
and  State  purposes.  Congressional,  state  representatives,  state  judi- 
cial, counties,  commissioners,  districts,  townships,  school  districts, 
road  districts,  and  sections  are  the  principal  divisions. 

The  largest  of  these  divisions  and  the  one  that  is  purely  federal 
is  the  Congressional.  They  are  made  on  the  basis  of  population 
and  are  subject  to  change  every  ten  years.  (See  page  171 ).  Thej 
are  composed  of  counties,  that  is  a  county  is  not  part  in  one 
district  and  part  in  another  to  equalize  the  two;  if,  however,  a 
county  contains  a  large  city  like  New  York  -or  Chicago,  it  is 
divided  into  several  districts. 

Then  there  are  the  districts  for  representation  in  the  state 
legislature,  representative  and  senatorial.     In  many  states  these 


COUNTY.  125 

are  the  same  with  more  representatives  than  senators  per  district. 
These  are  based  on  population.  In  many  states  the  county  is 
made  the  basis  of  representation  in  the  House  of  Representatives, 
that  is,  each  county  is  to  have  at  lea:st  one  representative  and  as 
many  more  as  its  population  entitles  it  to.  In  the  state  of  Con- 
necticut the  township  is  the  basis  and  each  township  has  at  least 
one  representative  in  the  Lower  House. 

The  next  largest  of  these  divisions  is  the  state  judicial.  They 
are  based  on  the  population,  also,  and.  are  likewise  divided  by 
counties.  There  may  be  several  judges  in  one  county  or  several 
counties  in  one  district. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

COUNTY. 


The  county  is  the  next  division  and  is  a  very  important  one. 
It  is  the  center  around  which  all  of  the  large  ones  are  built  and 
likewise  the  center  for  the  supervision  of  the  judicial  and  repre- 
sentative districts  as  well  as  for  the  administration  of  the  smaller 
divisions  into  which  it  is  divided.  The  county  is  the  unit  of  the 
local  government.  It  has  a  county  seat  which  bears  the  same 
relation  to  it  that  the  capital  does  to  the  state  or  the  ITnited 
States.  The  court  house  and  the  jail  are  located  there.  (In  fact 
it  is  the  capital  of  the  county.) 

The  county  is  made  by  the  state  and  is  subject  to  it.  It 
has  no  sovereign  powers,  that  is,  it  cannot  make  laws  for  itself. 


126  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

They  are  made  for  it  by  the  legislature  of  the  state.  It  is  lef^ 
to  the  county,  however,  to  enforce  the  laws.  The  state  places 
the  proper  limitations  within  the  power  of  the  county,  then  if 
its  officials  are  not  carefully  selected  and  are  lax  in  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs,  it  is  the  fault  of  the  citizens  of  the  county  and 
they,  in  turn,  are  the  ones  that  suffer  for  it,  by  having  large 
sums  of  their  taxes  squandered  or  illy  spent  and  their  schools, 
roads,  and  other  institutions  greatly  im,paired  on  that  account. 
The  officials  are  elected  by  the  citizens  of  the  county  and  are  not 
responsible  to  any  state  official,  only  in  so  much  as  their  respective 
duties  aid  in  the  general  supervision  of  the  state. 

The  county  is  not  self  governing  because  it  does  not  make 
its  own  laws  directly,  but  is  self  administrative  because  it  selects 
its  own  officers  and  enforces  the  laws  made  for  it.  The  state  has 
taken  the  precaution  to  safeguard  the  rights  of  the  citizens  of  the 
county  just  as  the  United  States  has  the  citizens  of  the  states. 
(See  pages  53  and  73). 

All  of  the  states  are  divided  into  counties  except  Louisianaj 
which  has  similar  divisions  called  parishes.  The  county  is  a  very 
old  organization^  it  is  so  called  because  these  divisions  were 
originally  ruled  over  by  counts  in  England.  It  is  not  made  on 
the  basis  of  population,  nor  is  it  of  any  certain  fixed  size.  It  is 
created  by  the  state  or  the  territorial  legislatures.  Wlien  boun- 
daries are  once  made  they  seldom  are  changed  because  the  records 
of  deeds,  mortgages,  transfers,  contracts,  deaths,  births*  marriages, 
etc.,  are  made  matters  of  record  in  the  county,  and  it  is  a  very 
difficult  thing  to  transfer  the  records  to  another  county  and  correct 
the  many  oustanding  documents  that  have  been  copied,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  record. 


TOWNSHIPS.  127 

The  county  has  the  power  to  create  new  or  change  old  pub- 
lie  highways;  to  build  bridges;  to  lay  drainage  systems;  to  build 
a  court  house,  jail,  home  for  the  poor;  to  manage  a  county  farm; 
to  grant  francl.ises  to  corporations,  and  many  other  duties  that  are 
not  necessary  to  name  here.  It  is  plainly  to  be  seen  that  the  county 
is  a  very  important  division  in  the  administration  of  our  govern- 
mental affairs. 

The  county  is  divided  into  as  many  *  districts  as  there  are 
members  in  th.e  board  of  commisfiioners.  Each  district  is  •  repre- 
sented by  a  member  on  the  board;  he  must  be  a  resident  of  that 
district,  but  is  usually  selected  by  a  vote  of  the  entire  county. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TOWNSHIPS. 


This  division  is  a  very  important  one  in  our  administrative 
affairs  and  is  considered  by  many  good  authorities  of  more  im- 
portance than  the  county. 

In  early  times,  when  the  people  of  Germany,  Scandinavia,  and 
England  began  to  establish  homes  instead  of  wandering  from 
place  to  place,  a  clan  or  tribe  would  settle  together  and  form 
a  little  village.  To  protect  themselves,  they  would  surround  their 
village  and  fields  with  a  stockade  called  a  tun  (toon).  In  Eng- 
land, particularly,  this  name  came  to  be  applied  to  the  land  within 
the  enclosure.  Thus  has  come  to  us  the  name  which  in  some 
states  is  called  town,  in  others  township. 


128  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

In  your  histories  you  have  read  and  talked  much  about  the 
New  England  town  meeting.  The  people  met  in  those  meetings 
to  elect  their  officers,  to  discuss  public  questions,  to  make  rules  or 
laws  for  the  townships,  levy  the  taxes  for  the  local  government, 
and  to  discuss  any  special  questions  pertaining  to  its  town  (or  town- 
ship). You  found  that  those  meetings,  and  the  township 
divisions,  became  a  very  important  factor  in  the  government  of 
New  England. 

Very  much  in  the  same  way  that  the  ^^tun"  was  organized  in 
Germany,  Scandinavia  and  England  was  it  reproduced  by  the 
people  who  settled  along  the  shores  and  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers 
of  New  England.  These  early  settlers,  Puritans,  were  very  demo- 
cratic in  spirit,  and  much  like  their  forefathers  across  the  sea,  were 
compelled  to  cluster  their  homes  about  a  common  center,  which 
in  New  England  was  the  church,  and  to  fortify  this  to  protect 
themselves  against  the  Indians.  As  the  colony  grew  and  new  set- 
tlers came  from  England,  a  new  colony  was  established  near  by  and 
the  Indian  frontier  pushed  a  little  farther  back.  As  time  went  on 
these  townships  were  united,  particularly  for  defense  against  the 
Indians,  into  larger  divisions  that  became  counties,  and  later  the 
CQunties  were  grouped  together,  forming  for  the  first  time  the 
organization  of  a  united  colony  that  after  1776  was  to  become  a 
state.  WTien  the  county  was  organized  it  assumed  authority  over 
the  questions  that  were  of  general  interest  to  the  townships,  and 
the  state  of  questions  that  were  of  general  interest  to  the  coun- 
ties and  townships  (similar  to  a  school  found  on  page  43). 
The  townships,  however,  retained  their  individuality  and  the  powers 
of  local  government.  They  are  even  to  this  day  the  centers  of 
local  administration  and  the  units  of  political  life  in  New  England. 


TOWNSHIPS.  129 

Likewise  you  studied  with  equal  interest  the  local  government& 
of  Virginia,  and  the  other  southern  colonies,  which  you  found  to 
be  different  from  the  town  meetings  of  New  England.  There  were 
several  reasons  for  this;  first  of  all,  these  people  were  not  Puri- 
tans; second,  they  did  not  come  over  from  England  as  families  (or 
even  communities),  as  was  the  case  in  New  England;  nor  did  the 
vast  majority  of  the  settlers  come  with  the  expectation  of  estab- 
lishing permanent  homes  in  the  grand  old  colony  of  Virginia ;  the 
Indians  in  this  section  were  very  much  more  peaceable  than  in 
New  England,  so  the  colonists  were  not  compelled  to  form  such 
close  bonds  of  union  to  protect  themselves;  the  climiate  was  too 
warm  along  the  coast  for  the  English  people  to  cultivate  the  soil, 
so  slavery  soon  gained  a  foothold  in  the  colonies.  The  soil  was 
very  productive  and  the  products  grown  were  those  that  England 
needed,  thus  the  colonists  found  a  ready^  market  for  everything 
they  were  able  to  raise. 

Wlien  these  colonists  came  to  make  a  settlement  they  would 
sail  up  a  river  and  somewhere  along  its  banks,  select  a  site  for  a 
colony,  each  memher  taking  a  plat  of  land  by  the  river's  edge.  As 
these  planters  prospered  from-  year  to  year  they  would  extend 
their  plantations  back  father  from  the  river,  preparing  a  little 
more  of  the  land  for  cultivation  at  each  new  planting.  Thus  grew 
up  in  these  states  many  large  plantations.  The  owner  would 
select  a  favorable  site  on  his  plantation  to  erect  a  mansion,  about 
which,  would  be  clustered  a  number  of  small  cottages,  the  homes 
of  the  few  white  people  and  the  many  slaves  that  cultivated  his 
fields.  These  plantations  were  so  large  that  the  mansions  were 
oftentimes  miles   apart.     When  local  divisions     were     organized 


180  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMEiRICANS. 

they  were  made  very  much  larger  than  those  of  New  England  and 
each  one  contained  a  number  of  these  plantations.  These  divi- 
sions took  the  names  of  counties. 

The  affairs  of  a  county  are  managed  by  a  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners, who  at  first  were  appointed  by  the  Governor,  but  after  the 
board  was  once  organized  it  managed,   somehow,  to  fill  its  own" 
vacancies.     This  was  very  different  from  the  New  England  town- 
ship meetings. 

These  boards  were  controlled  very  largely  by  the  owners  of 
these  plantations,  so  the  government  of  the  county  was  rather  an 
aristrocratic  than  a  democratic  form.  Owing  to  these  large  plan- 
tations the  county  did  not  need  the  detail  of  local  government  that 
was  necessary  in  the  divisions  of  New  England.  The  organization 
of  schools,  the  building  of  highways,  and  so  many  other  necessary 
things  in  New  England  were  not  so  nearly  important  in  the 
southern  colonies,  which  were  so  thinly  populated  and  where  the 
villages  were  so  few. 

From  this  discussion  it  is  plain  to  be  seen  that  the  rights 
and  liberties  of  the  people  were  much  safer  in  New  England 
under  the  democratic  township  system  than  under  the  aristocratic 
county  system  as  conducted  in  Virginia.  No  one  realized  this  more 
than  did  the  greatest  of  ail  democrats,  Thomas  Jefferson,  for  ho 
said  :  "Those  wards,  called  townships  in  New  England,  are  the 
vital  principles  of  their  governments  and  have  proved  themselves 
the  wisest  invention  ever  devised  by  the  wit  of  man  for  the  per- 
fect exercise  of  self-government,  and  for  its  preservation.  *  **  * 
As  Cato  then  concluded  every  speech  with  the  words  Carthage  must 
be  destroj'ed,^  so  do  I,  every  opinion  with  the  injunction,  'divide 
the  counties  into  wards  (townships)/^' 


TOWNSHIPS.  131 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
TowNsmrs,  continued. 

By  glancing  at  the  map  of  any  of  the  original  states,  it  will 
be  noticed  that  the  boundaries  of  the  townships  and  counties 
are  very  irregular,  and  that  some  townships  are  quite  small,  con- 
taining as  few  as  five  square  miles,  while  others  are  very  much 
larger.  The  reason  of  this  is  that  there  was  no  uniform  system  of 
surveying,  platting,  and  recording  of  land  grants.  A  man  would 
select  a  piece  of  land  that  he  desired,  have  it  surveyed,  many  times 
the  survey  would  extend  around  swamps  and  marshes,  thus  making 
the  plat  a  very  irregular  one. 

When  settlers  began  to  cross  over  the  mountains  into  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee  surveys  similar  to  the  one  above  were  made.  They 
marked  these  plats  by  ^'blazing"  the  trees,  that  is  they  would 
chop  notches  in  the  trees  or  cut  off  the  bark.  A  plat  of  this  survey 
would  be  recorded  in  the  state  land  office.  When  the  people  actually 
began  to  settle  on  these  plats  they  found  some  pieces  of  land  had 
been  recorded  as  many  as  five  or  six  times.  In  Kentucky,  espe- 
cially, the  government  was  annoyed  very  much  by  the  difficulties 
arising  over  the  conflicting  claims  of  the  land  grants.  In  order  to 
avoid  a  repetition  of  these  difficulties,  Congress  passed  in  1785  a 
knd  ordinance  which  with  some  slight  modifications  has  become 
our  present  simple  and  most  excellent  system  of  surveying  and 
platting    of  public  lands. 

Under  this  new  cystem  the  government  surveyed  and  platted 
all  public  lands  before  they  were  opened  to  settlement.  By  this  act 
Congress  made  a  regular  township,  called  Congressional,  six  miles 
square.    Whenever  a  new  territory  was  to  be  surveyed  the  govern- 


132 


CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 


ment  would  establish,  a  base  line  running  east  and  west  through 
it,  and  likewise  a  meridian  line  north  and  south.  (See  diagram.) 
Every  six  miles  north  and  south 
of  the  base  line  other  lines  were 
run  parallel  to  it,  and  likewise 
similar  lines  were  run  at  the 
same  distance  east  and  west  of 
the  prime  meridian.  These  lines 
divided  the  territory  into  con- 
gressional townships,  except  the 
fractional  areas  along  its  border. 
These  fractional  parts  were  sur- 
veyed likewise^,  and  not  being  six 
miles  square  were  called  Frac- 
tional townships.    Since  the  far- 


f: 

/ 

1                r 

(r 

5 

7 

3 

2 

c 

f- 

6 

V 

3 

2 

; 

/ 

2 

3 

7 

£> 

/ 

2 

Z 

fi 


A  B  is  a  meridian  line.    C  D  is  a  base 

ther  north  you  go  the  narrower  i^"^-   e  f  is  a  correction  line. 

,  .       .  The    distance    is    proportionally   much 

the  earth  becomes,  it  is  neces-  greater  between  the  base  line  and  the  cor. 
Sary    if    the    survey    runs    a    long    section  line  than  is  shown  in  diagram. 

distance  north  of  the  base  line,  to  take  a  line  parallel  to  it  as  a 
correction  line  and  start  anew.  The  base  line  is  30  located  in  a 
territory  that  not  more  than  one  correction  line  is  ever  necessary. 

Section. — By  this  same  ordinance  the  township  wa^  divided 
into  sections,  each  a  mile  square,  thus  making  thirty-six  to  the 
township.  Each  section  was  subdivided  into  four  quarters  and 
each  quarter  was  re-subdivided  into  quarters.  Since  a  quarter  sec- 
tion contains  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  one-fourth  of  a  quar- 
ter section  or  forty  acres  was  the  smallest  plat  of  land  that  a 
settler  could  enter. 

By  this  system  it  was  very  easy  for  a  settler  to  locate  his  claim 


TOWNSHIP  AND  COUNTY.  133 

and  with  very  little  expense  have  the  boundaries  made;  and  any 
plat  of  land  large  or  small  could  be  easily  located. 

The  first  of  the  townships  north  of  the  base  line  are  called 
number  one  north;  the  second  row  number  two  north;  the  third, 
three  north,  etc.  The  first  row  south,  number  one  south,  etc. 
Next  the  first  row  of  townships  east  of  the  meridian  line  was 
range  one  east;  second  row,  range  two  east;  third  row,  three  east; 
etc.    The  first  row  west,  range  one  west,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

TOWNSHIP   AND   COUNTY. 

In  the  previous  chapters  two  distinct  forms  of  local  govern- 
ment have  been  observed,  the  township  system  in  the  northern 
states  and  the  county  in  the  southern.  As  the  people  began  to 
move  westward  and  form  new  territories,  they  took  with  them  the 
customs  of  their  home  states,  and  as  a  result  three  systems  are  now 
to  be  found  in  the  United  States, — the  township,  county,  and  the 
combination  of  county  and  township  systems. 

This  mixed  system  is  a  compromise  between  the  township 
and  county,  in  w^hich  the  county  has  less  influence  than  in  the 
south  and  the  township  less  than  in  New  England.  While  the 
county  may  be  considered  in  all  these  states  the  unit,  it  has  under- 
gone m'any  changes.  All  the  officers  are  elective  and  for  a  short 
term,  and  their  powers  are  rather  closely  restricted  by  the  laws 
of  the  state.  The  township  has  remained  a  vigorous  organization, 
caring  for  nearly  all  of  the  local  questions  and  holding  a  restraint 


134  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

upon  the  county.  The  states  that  have  tliis  system  are  on  the 
border  line  between  the  north  and  south,  viz. :  Pennsylvania,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois^  etc. 

Illinois  furnishes  a  good  example  of  these  two  systems.  The 
southern  part  w^as  settled  by  people  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 
They  established  the  county  system  witli  this  difference  that  all 
officers  were  elective.  The  northern  portion  was  settled  by  peo;;l3 
(from  the  north)  who  w^ere  accustomed  to  the  township  system. 
When  the  first  constitution  was  made  a  large  part  of  the  popula- 
tion was  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  state,  so  the  county  system 
was  adopted.  The  prohibition  of  slavery  in  Illinois  by  the  Ordinance 
of  1787  caused  fewer  people  to  come  from  the  south  to  this  state 
than  fromi  the  north.  The  northern  portion  soon  grew  in  popula- 
tion to  exceed  the  south.  The  northern  settlers  did  not  find  the 
county  system  satisfactory  and  opposition  soon  became  quite  strong 
between  the  north  and  south,  resulting  in  a  new  constitution  for 
the  state  in  1848.  A  provision  in  this  constitution  gave  the  citizens 
of  the  county  local  option  concerning  the  question  of  township 
governments,  that  is,  if  the  majority  of  the  voters  in  the  county 
should  vote  to  organize  townships  they  would  then  be  organized. 
The  northern  counties  immediately  organized  township  govern- 
ments and  held  their  town-meetings.  The  system  has  gradually 
grown  until  over  four-fifths  of  the  counties  in  Illinois  have  estab- 
lished township  governments. 


TOWNS  AND  CITIES.  135 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

TOWNS    AND    CITIES. 

Good  harbors  along  the  shores,  shallow  places  fording  rivers, 
rapids  furnishing  water  power,  many  mines  of  various  ores,  lishing 
and  commerce  along  the  lakes,  railway  stations  in  the  agricultural 
districts,  and  other  things  that  require  many  men  to  work  together 
in  one  place,  have  caused  a  great  number  of  villages  to  spring  up 
over  the  TTnited  States,  particularly  in  the  northern  part.  Where 
people  build  their  homes  so  closely  together  and  so  many  of  them, 
there  are  things  of  interest  to  them  that  the  farming  country  does 
not  need.  For  an  economical  system  of  local  government  it  has 
been  found  necessary  to  give  them  a  separate  system  of  govern- 
ment. In  fact  a  town  or  city  government  is  a  modification  of  a 
township  governmjent  to  meet  their  needs.  Some  of  the  things  of 
special  interest  to  the  town  and  city  are  fire  departments,  water 
supply  and  sewerage  systems,  lighting  of  streets,  a  police  force  to 
guard  persons  and  property,  many  more  and  better  roads  or  streets, 
sidewalks,  school  buildings,  hospitals,  public  parks,  and,  especially 
in  the  larger  cities,  street  railways  and  other  things  which  you 
will  be  able  to  think  of. 

Some  of  these  towns  and  villages  have  grown  to  be  great 
cities:  New  York,  from  an  Indian  fur-trading  center  and  fishing 
village,  and  Chicago  from  a  little  portage  fort  have  grown  until 
they  rival  the  world  as  commercial  and  manufacturing  centers. 
The  growth  in  populativm,  numberless  varieties  of  manufacturing 
establishments,  imm'cnse  wholesale  and  retail  stores,  great  railway 
systems,  with  their  immense  store  houses,  etc.,  have  caused  such 


136  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

a  great  modification  of  these  township  governments  that  they  are 
no  longer  recognized  and  there  has  grown  up  a  distinctive  and 
separate  form  of  city  and  town  governments.  What  is  true  of 
New  York  and  Chicago  is  likewise  true  with  the  hundreds  of  other 
cities  in  the  United  States.  The  variety  of  town  and  city  govern- 
ment is  as  great,  at  least,  as  there  are  states  and  even  greater,  for 
the  cities  in  one  state  may  differ  very  materially  from  each  other 
on  account  of  interests,  industries,  and  the  traditions  brought  there 
with  the  first  settlers. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

STATE   GOVERNMENT. 


State. — We  shall  now  attempt  to  study  the  state,  county, 
township,  city  and  town  governments  with  the  officers  and  their 
respective  duties.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  states  exhibit  compara- 
tively few  differences  in  the  general  character  of  their  constitutions, 
governments  and  laws,but  in  the  details  the  variations  are  numerous 
and  the  dissimilarities  increase  as  we  begin  to  compare  the  thirteen 
original  states  with  the  newer  ones  that  have  been  admitted  into 
the  Union. 

These  variations  are  due  to  the  differences  of  climate,  occu- 
pations, nationalities  and  the  methods  of  transportations,  etc. 
The  laws  of  a  state  in  which  the  principal  occupation  is  agriculture 
will  diffei  from  those  in  which  the  leading  industry  is  mining, 
and  a  state  containing  many  large  manufacuring  cities  will  differ 
materially  from  both  of  these.  The  states  along  the  coast,  with 
their  citizens  interested  in  marine  commerce,  and  large  cities  as 


STATE  GOVERNMENT.  137 

terminals  of  railroads,  will  have  many  laws  peculiar  to  themselves. 
The  cotton,  sugar  and  tobacco-growing  states  have  many  laws  in 
the  statutes  that  are  not  to  be  found  on  the  books  of  their  narthern 
brothers,  but  in  their  jilaces  are  other  laws  peculiar  to  the  needi«. 

The  arid  states  in  the  mountain  sections  where  the  soil  is  made 
fenile  by  irrigation  have  on  their  statutes  many  laws  that  are  not 
to  be  found  anywhere  else. 

Legislative  Department, — The  legislative  department  in  all 
thi^  states  is  composed  of  two  houses,  the  Senate  and  House  of 
Kepresentatives ;  in  six  states  the  latter  is  called  "The  Assembly/' 
in  three  the  "House  of  Delegates." 

Senate. — The  number  of  senators  varies  from  fifteen  in  Nevada 
ix)  sixty-tliree  in  Minnesota.  The  average  is  about  thirty.  In  over 
half  of  the  states  the  length  of  term  is  four  years,  in  New  Jersey 
three  years,  in  Mlassachusetts  and  Ehode  Island  one  year,  in  the 
rest  two  years.  Sixteen  states  have  the  same  length  of  term 
for  both  Houses.  In  most  of  the  states  the  senators  are  not  elected 
at  the  same  time,  so  the  Senate  is  a  continuous  body,  like  the 
Ignited  States  Senate.  (See  page  44.)  As  a  rule,  there  are  quili- 
fications  covering  age,  residence  and  citizenship. 

House  of  Representatives. — The  House  is  a  very  much  larger 
body  than  the  Senate.  Its  membership  averages  about  three  times 
that  of  the  Senate,  Nevada  having  the  fewest  (30),  New  Hamp- 
shire the  largest  (308).  The  length  of  term  varies  fromi  one  year 
in  four  of  the  original  states,  to  four  years  in  Louisiana  and  Missis- 
sippi, while  in  all  the  rest  the  term  is  two  years.  The  qualifica- 
tions of  a  member  are  much  the  same  as  those  of  the  Upper  House, 
except  that  the  age  limit  is  lower  and  the  period  of  residence  shorter. 
In  practically  all  of  the  states  the  senators  and  representatives 


138  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

are  elected  from  districts  equal  in  number  to  the  members  of  the 
respective  houses  (see  page  137).  Illinois  has  the  same  number  of 
districts  for  each  as  many  as  it  has  senators.  There  are  three 
representatives  per  district,  and  a  provision  is  mlade  for  minority 
representation,  that  is,  each  party  nominates  three  candidates  (or 
can  nominate  three)  and  the  voters  have  a  right  to  cast  three  votes. 
They  may  cast  one  vote  for  each  of  three  candidates,  or  one  and  a 
half  for  each  two,  or  three  votes  for  one.  Under  this  arrangement 
is  it  possible  for  the  minority  party  to  elect  a  member  from  each 
district. 

Sessions  of  the  Legislature, — In  those  states  that  elect  mem- 
bers annually  (also  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.)  the  legislatures 
meet  annually,  in  all  the  others  bi-annually.  In  nearly  all  of  the 
states  when  making  the  constitution  the  people  thought  it  wise 
to  limit  the  length  of  the  session  of  the  legislature.  In  three 
states  it  is  limited  to  forty  days,  Pennsylvania  to  one  hundred  and 
fift}^,  in  sixteen  of  the  states  there  is  no  limit,  and  in  most  of  the 
rest  it  is  sixty  days.  Special  sessions  may  be  called  by  the  governor 
or  upon  the  request  of  a  certain  number  of  members^  which  num- 
ber varies  in  different  states. 

The  salaries  vary  from  one  dollar  a  day  and  eight  cents  mileage 
in  Ehode  Island  to  fifteen  hundred  dollars  per  year  and  ten  cents  a 
niile  in  New  York.  The  regulations  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
United  States :  (1)  A  quorum,  which  is  a  majority  in  each  house  in 
all  but  a  very  few  of  the  -ctates.  (2)  Freedom  of  speech  in  the 
legislative  halls.     (3)   Expulsion  of  a  member  by  a  two-thirds  vote. 

(4)  ExemJption  from  arrest  during  a  session  of  the  legislature. 

(5)  Eegulations  regarding  adjournment  of  a  session.  (6)  The 
keeping   of   journals   and   j)ublishing   the   records   from   time   to 


STATE  GOVERNMENT.  139 

time.     (T)     Regulations  regarding  compensation.     (8)       Eestrie- 
tions  as  to  liolding  other  offices  by  the  members  of  the  legislature. 

Special  Duties  of  Each  House. — The  Senate  tries  all  impeach- 
ments. In  New  York  the  Senate  and  Court  of  Appeals  conjointly 
try  impeachment  of  all  officers;  in  Nebraska  the  Senate  and  Su- 
preme Court  try  impeachments.  In  Vermont  the  Senate  can  pro- 
pose amendments  to  the  Constitution.  In  many  of  the  states  the 
regular  appointments  made  by  the  governor  must  be  approved  by 
the  Senate. 

Tlie  House  of  Representatives  has  the  sole  power  of  impeach- 
miont.  In  Connecticut  the  Ix)wer  House  may  propose  amendments 
to  the  constitution. 

Executive. — The  principal  officers  of  the  executive  department 
are  Governor,  Lieutenant-Governor,  Secretary  of  State,  Treasurer  or 
Comptroller,  Attorney-General,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion (in  some  states  called  school  commissioner),  State  Engineer, 
State  Surveyor,  and  Superintendent  of  Public  Works.  The  chief 
executive  officer  is  the  Governor ;  he  is  elected  directly  by  the  people 
for  a  term  of  from  one  to  four  years.  In  two  states,  Massachusetts 
and  Rhode  Island,  the  governor  is  elected,  for  one  year;  in  two 
states,  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  for  two  years;  in  the  remain- 
ing states  about  equally  divided  between  two  and  four  years.  The 
salary  of  the  governdr  varies  from  one  thousand  dollars  a  year 
in  "Michigan  to  ten  thousand  a  3^ear  in  New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 

Duties  of  the  Governor. —  (1)  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Governor  to 

enforce  the  laws  of  the  state  and  when  called  upon  to  assist  in  the 

execution  of  them  in  any  of  the  local  divisions;  also  to  assist  the 

#       ITnited  States  government  if  called  upon.     (2)  It  is  his  duty  to 


140  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

send  a  message  to  the  legislature  at  the  beginning  of  each  session, 
stating  the  condition  of  the  different  departments  of  the  state  gov- 
ernment, together  with  their  needs,  and  a  recommendation  of  such 
new  laws  and  revision  of  old  ones  as  in  his  judgment  should  be 
enacted.  (3)  He  is  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  state  militia 
and  can  call  out  these  troops  whenever,  in  his  judgment,  the  pro- 
tection of  the  citizens  or  their  property  is  needed,  whether  it  be  to 
aid  the  sheriff  of  the  county  or  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
(4)  In  all  states  the  Governor  has  the  power  to  pardon  criminals, 
to  grant  reprieves,  etc.  In  Vermont,  however,  he  has  not  the 
power  to  pardon  a  murderer,  that  is  left  to  the  legislature.  (5)  In 
all  the  states  except  Rhodes  Island,  Delaware,  Ohio  and  North 
Carolina,  the  Governor  has  the  power  to  veto  all  acts  passed  by  the 
legislature.  Although  in  Vermont,  Connecticut,  New  Jersey  and 
Indiana,  only  a  majority  of  each  house  is  required  to  pass  a  bill 
over  the  Governor's  veto;  in  all  the  other  states  two-thirds  is  re- 
quired. In  about  half  of  the  states  the  Governor  has  the  power 
to  veto  any  item  or  items  in  a  bill  for  the  appropriation  of  any  pub- 
lic money,  but  at  the  same  time  approving  the  balance  of  the  bill. 
This  is  considered  by  many  to  be  a  very  important  safeguard,  be- 
cause in  cases  where  the  Governor  must  approve  all  or  veto  all,  it 
is  possible  for  some  ill-advised  appropriations  to  be  attached  to  the 
absolutely  necessary  ones  and  put  into  the  same  bill,  so  that  the 
Governor  is  compelled  to  approve  the  bad  with  the  good  or  no 
money  will  be  appropriated  for  state  purposes.  (6)  In  many 
states  the  Governor  has  the  powTr  to  appoint  many  state  officers, 
in  some  states  with  the  consent  of  usually  the  senate,  in  others  with- 
out.  He  usually  has  power  to  fill  all  vacancies,  and  generally  has 
supervision,  if  not  control,  of  all  the  state  boards  and  officials.    He 


STATE  GOVERNMENT.  141 

has  j^ower  in  ?ome  states  to  remove  from  office,  in  others  to  prefer 
charges  and  bring  them  before  the  legislature. 

These  are  the  general  duties  of  the  governors  of  the  several 
states. 

Lieutenant-Governor. — About  two-thirds  of  the  states  have 
Lieutenant-Governors,  who  in  case  of  death  or  disability  of  the 
Governors,  succeed  them  in  office.  The  Lieutenant-G<^vernor  is 
always  president  of  the  Senate. 

Secretary  of  State. — Each  state  has  a  Secretary.  In  most  of 
the  states  he  is  elected  by  the  people,  but  in  some  by  the  legislature. 
lie  has  charge  of  the  state  seal  and  keeps  a  record  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  legislature  and  the  other  departments  of  the  state.  He 
has  charge  of  the  election  returns  and  in  general  acts  as  a  clerk 
for  the  state. 

Treasurer,  or  Comptroller. — Each  state  has  a  Treasurer,  or 
Comptroller,  who  has  charge  of  all  the  fund's  of  the  state,  paying 
them  out  at  the  order  of  the  legislature  or  the  state  officials 
authorized  to  draw  upon  the  treasury.  It  is  his  duty  to  collect  all 
funds  due  the  state  and  to  report  the  financial  condition  of  the  state 
to  the  Governor,  or  to  the  legislature  at  the  beginning  of  its  session. 
.He  is  always  under  heavy  bond  for  tlie  faithful  performance  of 
his  duty. 

Attorney-General. — Most  of  the  states  have  Attorney-Generals, 
who  are  the  legal  advisors  of  the  legislature,  the  Governor  and  the 
other  state  officials.  Whenever  the  state  has  business  in  any  court, 
the  Attornej^-General  or  his  assistants  represent  it.  The  volume  of 
business  in  a  state  is  quite  large  and  in  some  cases  the  Attorney- 
General  has  many  assistants.    It  is  his  duty  to  prosecute  all  persons 


142  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

or  corporations  that  violate  the  state  law,  whenever  he  is  in  posses- 
sion of  such  evidence.  It  is  necessary  that  he  be  a  man  of  much 
experience  and  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  phases  of  the  law. 

Superintendent. — The  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction^ 
or  School  Commissioner,  is  a  very  important  officer.  He  has  super- 
vision of  all  classes  of  public  schools,  issuing  of  licenses  by  the  state, 
and  in  some  states  courses  of  study,  text-books,  levying  of  money 
for  school  purposes;  he  attends  to  all  other  duties  and  important 
questions  concerning  public  schools.  From  this  it  will  be  observed 
that  he  needs  to  be  a  broad-minded,  well-educated  man,  and  like- 
wise thoroughly  familiar  with  the  many  important  problems  con- 
nected with  a  school  system  of  a  great  state.  In  many  of  the 
states  he  is  assisted  in  his  duties  by  a  state  board  of  education. 

The  State  Engineer,  Surveyor  and  Superintendent  of  Public 
Works  have  the  various  duties  that  their  namies  imply. 

Judicial, — It  is  impossible  to  describe  a  system  of  courts  that 
apply  to  all  the  states;  the  courts  tend,  however,  to  approach  a 
certain  type.  There  is  a  Supreme  Court  in  every  state,  the  judges 
of  which  represent  the  entire  state.  It  has  jurisdiction  over  all 
cases  tried  in  the  lower  courts,  and  has  original  jurisdiction  in  a 
very  few  cases.  Its  decisions  are  final  on  all  points  or  cases  con- 
nected with  the  state  laws,  but  cases  can  be  appealed  to  the  United 
States  courts  if  it  contains  any  points  over  which  they  have  juris- 
diction. (For  these  cases  see  page  93).  Below  the  Supreme  Court 
are  district,  circuit  or  superior  courts,  which  are  equal  in  number 
to  the  districts  into  which  a  state  is  divided.  In  some  counties 
where  the  volume  of  business  is  very  large  there  are  several  judges 
in  one  county,  in  others  where  the  volume  of  business  is  much 
smaller  there  may  be  one  judge  for  two  or  three  counties.    In  the 


STATE  GOVERNMENT.  143 

latter  case  the  judge  goes  around  from  one*  county  to  another  and 
holds  sessions  of  court,  the  length  of  the  session  de^^ending  upon 
the  amount  of  business.  These  courts  have  both  original  and  appel- 
late jurisdiction.  Then  there  is  a  lower  division  known  as  justice 
courts.  They  try  miinor  cases.  The  judges  of  these  courts  are 
called  justices  of  the  peace.  They  have  only  original  jurisdiction 
over  niiinor,  civil  and  criminal  cases.  In  cities  there  is  a  court 
called  the  mayor's  court. 

In  addition  to  the  above  there  are  courts  of  equity,  probate 
courts,  and  in  large  cities  there  are  criminal  and  juvenile  courts. 
Prom  the  names  of  them  you  can  tell  what  cases  they  try.  In  many 
states  where  the  volume  of  business  has  become  too  great  for  the 
Supreme  Court,  there  has  been  established  what  is  known  as  the 
Court  of  Appeals.  Many  cases  that  are  appealed  from  the  lower 
courts  come  before  this  one  and  are  settled,  although  they  may  be 
appealed  from  this  court  to  the  Supreme  Court;  in  most  cases, 
however,  the  decision  of  this  court  is  final,  that  is,  the  contending 
parties  accept  it  as  such. 

The  term  of  office  of  judges  varies  from  two  years  to  life,  or 
during  good  behavior.  The  judges  receive  their  offices  in  principally 
three  ways,— some  are  elected  by  the  people,  others  appointed  by  the 
governor,  and  still  others  appointed  by  the  legislature.  There  are 
qualifications  relating  to  age,  residence,  citizenship,  etc.  I^early 
all  of  the  states  provide  a  fixed  salary  for  the  judges  without  any 
fees.  This  salary  varies  with  the  character  of  the  court  and  the 
volume  of  business. 


144  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

COUNTY  OFFICERS. 

The  principal  officers  of  the  county  are :  Sheriff,  Auditor,  Clerk, 
Superintendent,  or  Commissioner  of  Public  Schools,  Treasurer, 
County  Assessor,  Coroner,  Attorney,  Recorder,  and  in  states  where 
they  have  a  cumpulsory  educational  law,  one  or  more  Truant 
Officers,  Surveyor,  a  Board  of  County  Commissioners,  and  usually 
a  Board  of  Health  and  a  Board  of  Tax  Equalizers.  These  are  not 
all  of  the  county  officials  in  the  various  counties,  nor  will  all  of 
these  be  found  in  every,  county,  but  they  are  the  principal  ones. 

The  Sheriff.— It  is  the  duty  of  the  Sheriff  to  maintain  peace 
and  order  and  to  execute  all  the  decrees  and  decisions  of  the  county 
courts.  He  is  the  keeper  of  the  county  jail,  and  it  is  his  duty  to 
care  for  its  inmates.  It  is  his  duty  to  help  capture  any  offender 
of  the  law,  whenever  the  proper  authority  is  given  to  him. 

The  Auditor. — It  is  the  duty  of  this  official  to  keep  a  record  of 
all  claims  against  the  county  and  to  record  the  tax  assessments  of 
the  county.  He  is  usually  the  clerk  of  the  county  board  of  com- 
missioners, investigates  and  authorizes  the  loans  of  school  money, 
and  certifies  all  checks  and  transfers  of  public  funds  made  by  the 
county  treasurer.  He  makes  all  these  transactions  matters  of  pub- 
lic record.     These  duties  vary  in  different  states. 

County  Cleric. — This  officer  is  commonly  known  as  the  Clerk 
of  the  Court.  He  keeps  all  records  and  proceedings  of  the  county 
courts,  distributes  all  election  ballots  and  receives  and  records  all 
election  returns,  issues  marriage  licenses,  etc. 


COUNTY  OFFICERS.  145 

Superintendent  of  Schools. — The  Superintendent  of  Public 
Schools  has  the  supervision  of  all  the  schools  in  the  county,  except 
city  schools.  He  examines  the  teachers,  grants  licenses  to  teach, 
conducts  institutes  as  schools  of  instruction  for  teachers  and  visits 
tlie  schools  at  stated  times ;  in  some  states  he  has  charge  of  the  se- 
lection of  school  books  or  the  management  of  the  same,  as  pro- 
vided by  the  statute.  Occasionally  he  has  some  authority  in  the 
selection  of  the  teachers,  but  more  often  in  their  dismissal.  He  is 
Usually  a  member  of  the  county  board,  of  educatioa  and  a  very  im- 
portant factor  in  the  public  school  system. 

The  County  Assessor. — The  County  assessors  aid  the  local 
assessors  in  their  work  and  assist  in  the  equalization  of  property 
valuations. 

The  Treasurer. — Th^  Treasurer  has  charge  of  all  the  county's 
funds.  In  many  states  he  collects  all  the  taxes,  not  only  for  the 
county  but  for  the  state,  township,  city,  and  town  as  well.  It  is 
his  duty  to  make  the  proper  distribution  of  these  funds,  as  pre- 
bcribed  by  the  auditor's  report.  He  collects  all  moneys  due  the 
county  and  makes  all  disbursements  that  are  certified  by  the  proper 
authorities.  He  is  compelled  to  give  a  heavy  bond,  which  he  for- 
feits if  he  appropriates  any  of  the  funds  for  any  purposes  not  pre- 
scribed by  the  authorities. 

The  Coroner. — The  Coroner  investigates  eases  ')f  death  caused 
by  violence  and  decides  how  the  individual  met  his  death.  He 
may  swear  in  a  jury  of  six  or  twelve  men  to  aid  him. 

County  Attorney. — The  advisor  of  all  the  officers  of  the 
county,  fhe  prosecutor  of  all  violations  of  the  law,  and  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  county  of  any  court  proceedings  that  it  may  be  a 


146  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

party  to  is  the  County  Attorney.     He  is  to  the  county  what  the 
state's  attorney  is  to  the  state. 

The  Recorder. — The  Recorder  keeps  a  record  of  all  deeds,  mort- 
gages, transfers,  contracts,  etc.,  and  in  some  states  the  records  of 
births,  deaths,  marriages,  divorces  and  such  other  records  as  the 
state  may  prescribe. 

The  Surveyor. — The  Surveyor  lays  out  and  plats  any  new 
surveys,  roads,  county  ditches  or  drains,  runs  any  lines  for  locating 
boundaries,  cornerstones  or  other  marks  of  identification,  and  at- 
tends to  such  other  business  as  comes  in  the  line  of  a  surveyor. 

Board  of  County  Commissioners. — There  is  a  Board  of  County 
Commissioners,  usually  three  to  five  in  number.  This  board  is  the 
legislative  body  of  the  county,  if  we  may  honor  it  with  that  name. 
It  has  the  supervision  of  the  county  officers,  the  laying  and  changing 
of  townships,  school  districts,  roads,  etc.  The  care  and  construc- 
tion of  any  bridge  which  is  so  expensive  it  would  be  too  much  of 
a  burden  for  any  town  or  township  to  construct,  is  also  under  its 
supervision.  This  board  has  charge  of  the  construction  and  main- 
tainance  of  all  buildings  which  the  count^^  may  need,  or  i&  author- 
ized to  construct  such  as:  a  jail,  court  house,  hospital,  etc.  In 
some  states  they  may  purchase  and  maintain  a  farm  as  a  home  for 
the  poor  and  unfortunate  of  their  county.  The  board  also  deter- 
mines the  amount  of  money  necessary  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the 
county  from  year  to  year.  Wliere  there  is  not  an  especial  board  it 
acts  as  a  board  to  equalize  the  taxes  and  to  hear  the  complaints  of 
those  who  consider  that  they  have  been  assessed  above  their  valua- 
tion. In  many  states  it  has  considerable  power  in  appointing  cer- 
tain officers  and  in  filling  vacancies,  but  little  power  in  removing 
officers.  .  It  has  the  power  to  grant  franchises  to  railway,  telephone. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  TOWNSHIP.  147 

telegraph  or  any  other  companies.  In  some  states  this  board  is 
given  the  power  of  granting  licenses  for  the  purpose  of  selling 
all  spirituous  liquors  and  any  other  commodities  that  require  a 
license.  From  what  has  been  said  it  is  plain  that  this  board  is  a 
very  imiportant  one  in  the  administrative  affairs  of  local  government. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

OFFICERS  OF  THE  TOWNSHIP. 

With  these  divisions,  as  with  the  others  we  have  discussed,  the 
officers  and  their  duties  are  as  various  as  there  are  states  in  the 
Union.  An  important  feature  about  them  all  is,  however,  that 
practically  all  expenditures  of  township  money  for  road's,  schools, 
poor,  buildings,  and  for  improvements  of  public  interest  are  auth- 
orized by  a  public  vote  of  the  citizens  at  their  annual  town  meeting. 
Many  townships  have  a  Board  of  Trustees,  or  Township  Com- 
missioners, who  has  charge  of  the  work  of  the  towrship.  In 
some  states  the  functions  of  this  board  are  intrusted  to  one  person, 
as  in  Indiana  for  example  He  is  limited,  however,  in  his  levy  for 
township  money,  and  the  checking  out  of  the  ?ame,  except  in  very 
minor  cases,  by  an  advisory  board  of  three  members  elected  by  the 
voters  of  the  district.  In  others,  as  the  New  England  states,  Mich- 
igan, Illinois,  ^Minnesota,  etc.,  all  appropriations  must  be  made  at 
the  annual  session  of  the  town  meeting.  This  way,  at  least  a  ma- 
jority of  the  citizens  of  a  township  must  be  sufficiently  concerned 
in  tlie  improvements  to  vote  upon  themselves  the  necessary  taxe^ 
to  make  the  same. 


148  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

The  principal  offices  of  the  township  are:  a  Board  of  Com-« 
mis&ioners,  or  Trustees,  as  mentioned  above;  an  Assessor,  who 
levies  on  all  the  property  of  the  township ;  one  or  more  Road  Com- 
missioners, in  some  states  called  Supervisors,  who  liave  general 
charge  of  the  public  highways  of  their  respective  districts.  In 
some  states  a  clerk,  who  has  charge  of  all  the  township  records, 
administers  oaths,  takes  affidavits,  etc.  Hie  records  the  proceed- 
ings of  all  the  township  meetings,  including  by-laws,  rules,  ordi- 
nances, etc.,  made  at  these  meetings,  and  in  some  states  it  is  his 
duty  to  certify  to  the  proper  authorities  the  amount  of  fundfe  nec- 
essary to  meet  the  expense  of  the  township  annually.  In  some 
townships  they  have  a  Supervisor  of  the  Poor,  whose  duties  are 
what  his  name  implies.  The  township  has  a  Board  of  Health, 
which  is  usually  composed  of  all  or  part  of  the  township  officers. 
In  case  of  any  contagious  disease,  they  can  take  the  necessary  pre- 
caution to  prevent  its  spreading  and  still  farther  endangering  the 
lives  of  the  citizens.  Some  states  have  a  Township  Auditor  who 
must  examine  the  accounts  of  all  the  officers  who  have  the  power  to 
authorize  or  disburse  any  of  the  township^s  funds. 

In  each  township  there  is  one  or  miore  judicial  officers,  known 
as  the  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  tries  all  minor  cases  and  for  any 
criminal  offenses  committed  in  the  township,  gives  the  criminal  a 
hearing  and  binds  him  over  to  the  proper  authorities.  To  execute 
the  orders  of  the  justice  court,  there  is  elected  for  every  justice  an 
offilcer,  usually  known  as  the  Constable;  he  has  the  same  general 
duties  for  the  township  that  the  sheriff  has  for  the  county.  These 
are  the  principal  officers  that  will  be  found  in  any  township  organi- 
zation.   The  duties  of  the  same  as  well  as  the  names  vary. 

The  length  of  term  of  the  officers  of  the  township  vary  from 


OFFICERS  OF  TOWN  AND  CITY.  149 

one  to  four  years ;  in  many  states  they  are  elected  at  the  annual  town 
meeting,  others  run  a  still  longer  time,  particularly  in  towns  where 
they  do  not  have  the  regular  town  meetings,  but  the  prevailing 
term  of  office  is  short.  In  many  townships  the  officers  serve  with- 
out salary  and  if  they  receive  any  pay  at  all  it  is  for  the  actual 
time  that  it  takes  them  to  perform  the  duties  of  their  office.  In 
others  they  are  paid  a  salary  which  is  small  and  varies  with  the 
extent  of  their  official  duties.  On  the  whole  the  township  business 
is  carried  on  in  a  very  economical  manner. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

OFFICERS   OF   TOWX  AND   CITY. 

In  the  course  of  the  administration  of  the  New  England  town- 
ship affairs,  in  that  section  of  the  township  where  a  manufacturing 
establishment  was  placed  and  a  number  of  homes  were  built  around 
the  factory,  different  questions  and  problems  of  local  governmient 
presented  themselves,  and  in  many  cases  a  disagreement  between 
the  factory  owners  and  the  rural  farming  communities  would  fol- 
low, the  discussions  and  differences  becoming  very  intense.  As  a 
result  of  the  different  needs  these  little  urban  divisions  were  sepa- 
rated from  the  township  and  became  separate  and  distinct  corpora- 
tions, known  as  towns  or  villages. 

These  little  villages  would  organize  a  government  similar  to 
that  of  the  township,  creating  the  additional  officers  to  carry  out 
the  needs  of  the  town.  In  these  small  towns  they  have  a  Board  of 
Aldermen,  or  members  of  a  town  board,  in  some  states  called  a 


150  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

Council,  the  number  ranging  from  three  upward,  depending  on  the 
size  of  the  village.  The  town  is  divided  into  divisions  called  wards, 
each  having  one  or  two  members  in  the  council.  These,  like  the 
township  ofBcers  serve  short  terms,  usually  one  or  two  years.  This 
board  has  charge  of  the  administrative  needs  of  the  town,  viz.,  the 
town  buildings,  streets,  crossings,  sewerage,  lighting,  etc.  This 
board  is  to  the  town  what  the  board  of  commissioners  is  to  the 
county.  There  is  always  a  town  clerk,  who  keeps  the  records  and 
proceedings  of  the  town  council  and  such  other  records  as  may  bo 
delegated  to  him  by  the  legislature  of  the  state  and  the  town 
council. 

There  is  a  Town  Treasurer,  Marshal,  in  some  states  a  Street 
Commissioner,  Overseer  of  the  Poor,  Librarian,  etc.  These  officers, 
like  those  of  the  township,  receive  a  very-  small  salary,  or  are  paid 
for  the  actual  time  they  serve  in  the  official  capacity.  The  town 
marshal  usually  receives  the  highest  salary. 

As  the  town  grows  larger  its  system  of  government  becomes 
miore  complex,  because  its  needs  and  duties  are  greatly  increased 
When  it  reaches  a  certain  size  its  government  is  reorganized  and 
it  is  incorporated  as  a  city. 

Each  state  has  its  own  system  of  laws  for  governing  cities  and 
in  most  cases  the  larger  ones  are  governed  differently  than  the 
femaller  ones.  Even  two  large  cities  in  the  same  state  may  be 
organized  differently,  because  the  state  legislature  usually  grantii 
the  wishes  of  a  city  if  they  do  not  encroach  upon  the  rights  or  in- 
jure the  interests  of  any  other  part  of  the  state..  The  reasons 
for  these  variations  have  been  given  in  Chapter  XXL 

\'\Tiile  there  are  so  many  differences  in  the  details  of  city 
government,  there  is  a  general  resemblance;  for  we  find  in  every 


OFFICERS  OF  TOWN  AND  CITY.  151 

city  a  Mayor,  the  head  of  the  executive  department;  a  legislative 
body  composed  of  one  or  two  houses;  and  a  complete  system  of 
municipal  courts.  These  officers  are  all  elected  by  the  people  with 
a  single  exception,  in  some  cases  the  judges  are  appointed  by  the 
state. 

The  Mayor  is  the  most  prominent  officer  in  the  city  govern- 
ment. His  term  varies  from  one  year  in  Boston,  twv>  years  in 
New  York,  Chicago,  Baltimore,  San  Francisco,  and  in  many  other 
large  cities,  to  five  years  in  Philadelphia  and  St.  Louis.  His  gen- 
eral duties  are  similar  to  those  of  the  governors  of  a  state,  but  there 
must  be  added  to  these  many  special  duties.  In  most  of  the  cities 
he  has  the  power  to  veto,  the  same  as  the  governor  or  president.  In 
Chicago  and  San  Francisco  the  mayor  presides  over  the  council^ 
His  salar}'  in  some  cities  is  as  high  as  $15,000  a  year. 

Among  the  other  officers  of  the  executive  department  the 
principal  ones  are :  Treasurer,  or  Comptroller,  Clerk,  Assessor,  City 
Collector,  and  Superintendent  of  Schopls.  Then  there  are  Street 
Commissioners,  a  Supererintendent  of  police,  fire  department,  park 
boards,  health,  poor,  water  department,  and  various  Inspectors,  and 
a  Board  of  Education. 

The  legislative  department  is  usually  termed  the  City  Council. 
In  many  cities  it  is  composed  of  two  chambers,  the  upper,  called 
the  aldermen,  and  the  lower  one,  the  common  council ;  but  in  New 
York,  Chicago,  San  Francisco,  and  most  of  the  smaller  cities  there 
is  a  single  body.  They  are  all  elected  by  the  people  for  a  term  of 
from  one  to  four  years.  The  duties  of  the  same  are  similar  to  those 
of  the  legislature  of  a  state.  The  council  has  considerable  control 
over  the  various  departments  of  the  city  government.  It  has  stand- 
ing committees,  such  as  streets,  finance,  public  buildings,  etc.,  that 


152  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

acquaint  themselves  with  the  neeas  of  their  departm'ents  and  aid 
the  council  in  making  legislations  for  them.  The  council  is  not  a 
very  large  body;  in  San  Francisco  it  has  as  few  as  twelve,  in  other 
cities  it  is  increased  from  two  to  five,  or  six  times  this  nimiber. 

Courts. — The  system  of  courts  in  the  city  is  similar  to  that 
already  discussed,  with  a  slightly  different  organization  in  each" 
city.  In  some  cities  the  judges  are  appointed  by  the  governor  of 
the  state  for  life  or  during  good  behavior,  but  in  most  cities  they 
are  elected  by  the  people  for  a  short  term. 

Many  chapters  could  be  written  on  the  government  of  any  one 
of  the  great  cities  in  the  United  States,  and  not  exhaust  the  facts 
that  every  citizen  should  know  how  to  perform,  his  part  in  the 
government  of  that  city.  And,  furthenuiore,  he  should  be  familiar 
with  the  admirable  points  in  the  government  of  other  great  cities 
of  the  country,  so  when  any  change  in  his  own  city  is  to  be  made,  he 
will  be  familiar  with  and  profit  by  the  experience  of  his  neighbors. 

We  trust  that  with  these  few  general  facts  you  will  not  only 
familiarize  yourself  with  the  details  of  your  own  city  government, 
but  you  will  he  interested  in  strengthening  the  weak  points  in  it 
by  fainilia5rizing  yourself  with  the  satisfactory  experiences  ojf 
others. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

CONCLUSION". 


In  our  brief  study  we  have  seen  how  the  few  colonies  scattered 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  have  expanded  and  increased  in  num- 
ber until  they  have  built  up  the  greatest  self-goveniing  empire  the 


CONCLUSION.  153 

world  has  ever  known.  In  much  the  samie  way  those  good  old 
Pilgrim  Fathers  came  together  in  their  town  meetings  to  discuss 
plans  and  methods  as  to  how  they  could  accomplish  the  greatest 
good  for  the  largest  number  (in  the  most  economical  way)  within 
the  bounds  of  their  domain,  even  to  this  very  day  do  the  grand- 
children of  their  grand-children  meet  in  town  meetings,  almost  in 
the  shadow  of  the  gravestones  of  their  sires  to  discuss  questions 
to  the  self-same  end.  Not  only  in  the  same  town  or  village,  but  in 
the  valleys  of  the  many  branches  of  the  Father  of  Waters,  farther 
west  in  the  boundless  prairies,  where  they  have  built  peaceful  homes, 
and  even  beyond  the  Kocky  Mountains,  to  the  great  Pacific's  shore, 
do  they  meet  from  time  to  time  on  the  self-same  mission  with  al- 
most the  same  liberty  and  freedom  enjoyed  by  their  fore-fathers  of 
old;  although  they  have  built  counties  and  states  over  them  and, 
what  is  more,  have  united  these  states  into  a  bond  of  union  and 
elected  one  of  their  own  citzens  to  rule  for  a.  period  of  four  years 
at  a  time  over  this  continuous  expanse  of  empire  which  is  greater 
than  that  ruled  over  by  all  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe  combined. 
You  may  ask  the  question,  how  is  all  this  possible?  It  is 
answered  by  stating,  that  it  is  the  harmonious  relationship  that  the 
state  bears  to  these  local  divisions,  and,  secondly,  the  same  rela- 
tion that  it  bears  to  the  general  government.  The  state  exercises 
a  general  supervision  over  the  townships  and  counties,  which  is 
just  enough  to  harmonize  so  many  local  administrations;  the 
United  States  government  adheres  strictly  to  questions  that  are 
of  general  interest  to  the  states ;  and  it  seldom  if  ever  interferes  in 
any  of  the  local  affairs  of  the  several  states.  Under  this  system 
every  American  citizen  is  equal  to  every  other  American  citizen  in 
the  nuanagement  of  all  public  affairs,  and  votes  directly  or  indi- 


154  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

rectly  for  every  officer  from,  tlie  least  in  the  school  district  or 
township  to  the  greatest  in  the  state  or  nation,  so  that  every  man, 
woman  or  child  is  animated  by  a  spirit  of  patriotism  and  is  desir- 
ous of  acquainting  himself  with  all  the  questions  of  public  interest 
that  concern  him  or  her,  from  the  little  home  circle  to  the  great 
questions  of  public  policy  that  bear  on  the  relation  of  states  to  each^ 
other  and  the  nation  to  foreign  countries. 

This  great  nation  has  arrived  at  this  point  after  having 
solved  one  perplexing  question  after  another ;  however,  it  is  not  free 
from  the  many  trying  conditions  that  beset  its  pathway;  but  deep 
in  the  hearts  of  its  loyal  citizens  are  the  firm  convictions  that  in  the 
future  as  in  the  past  it  will  meet  these  difficult  situations  fairly 
and  squarely  with  a  complete  and  satisfactory  solution. 

In  order  to  show  more  clearly  the  import  of  these  statements, 
we  wish  to  give  you  a  brief  discussion  of  local  government  of  the 
next  greatest  Republic  in  the  world. 

France  is  divided  into  eighty-nine  divisions  called  depart- 
ments. All  of  them,  have  identically  the  same  government;  the 
principal  officer  in  each  is  the  Prefect.  He  is  the  treasurer,  re- 
cruiting officer  and  superintendent  of  sichools  for  his  department 
and,  furthermore,  appoints  nearly  all  of  the  inferior  officers.  Each 
department  has  a  central  council,  elected  by  the  people,  but  this 
body  has  very  little  power,  it  connot  even  assess  its  own  taxes ;  thej 
are  assessed  for  it  by  the  central  legislature  at  Paris.  The  manner 
of  collecting  the  same  is  speciJBed  by  the  legislature.  This  depart- 
ment council  has  not  even  the  right  to  express  its  views  on  any  sub- 
ject, it  acts  simply  in  its  official  capacity  in  matters  of  adminis- 
tration. 

The  smallest  division  into  which  a  department  is  divided  is  a 


CONCLUSION.  155 

Commune,  which  may  bo  a  town  or  township.  The  people  elect  a 
council  for  the  commune,  and  the  council  elects  the  Mayor.  The 
mayor  is  responsible  to  the  j^refect,  and  he  in  turn  to  the  minister 
of  the  interior  at  Paris.  If  the  mayor  displeases  any  of  these 
officers  he  is  forced  to  resign  and  a  new  one  is  appointed  in  his 
place.  So  the  minutest  details  of  government  are  authorized  by 
the  minister  of  the  interior. 

This  is  enough  to  show  you  that  the  people  of  France  do  not 
manage  their  own  affairs,  but  that  they  are  governed  by  a  body  of 
men  whose  official  head  is  located  in  Paris.  It  is  a  sort  of  "Central- 
ized despotism"  in  which  the  people  have  comparatively  little  to 
say.  The  French  people  know  very  little  about  governmental  af- 
fairs, although  they  are  generally  intelligent  on  most  any  other 
subject.    How  different  this  is  from  our  o^wti  county. 

"But  if  we  Americans  were  to  set  about  giving  to  the  state 
governments  things  to  do  that  had  better  be  done  by  the  counties 
and  towns  (townships),  and  giving  the  federal  government  things 
to  do  that  had  better  be  done  by  the  states,  it  would  not  take  many 
generations  to  dull  the  keen  edge  of  our  political  capacity.  We 
ehould  lose  it  as  inevitably  as  the  most  consummate  of  pianists  will 
lose  his  facility  if  he  stops  practicing.  It  is,  therefore,  a  fact  of 
cardinal  importance  that  in  the  United  States  the  local  govern- 
ments of  townships,  counties  and  cities  are  left  to  administeij 
themselves  instead  of  being  administered  by  a  great  bureau  with 
its  head  at  the  state  capital"  (Washington). 

There  is  an  old  maxim  that  runs,  "You  learn  to  do  by  doing.'* 
Is  it  not  true  that  because  the  local  government  is  no  higher  than 
the  people  of  those  divisions  make  it,  l)ecause  they  are  largely 
responsible  for  it,  and  that  the  larger  ones  are  only  a  combination 


156  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

of  these  smaller  ones,  prove  that  the  wisdom  and  justice  of  our 
government  is  due  to  the  wisely  directed  efforts  of  the  great  Ameri- 
can citizen  in  the  local  affairs. 

Mjy  young  readers,  may  you  ever  be  filled  with  a  personal 
inspiration  to  understand  the  details  of  all  the  departments  of  our 
government  and  feel  the  worth  of  your  part  in  maintaining  this 
great  republic. 


SUGGESTIVE  REVIEW  QUESTIONS. 


CHAPTER  rV. 

THE  KINDS  OF  GOVEENMENT. 

SUGGESTIVE    REVIEW    QUESTIONS. 

What  is  a  monarchy?  What  title  is  given  to  the  ruler  of  an  erapir**? 
Of  a  kingdom  ?  Of  a  principality  ?  Of  a  duchy  ?  How  many  kinds  of 
monarchies  are  there  ?  What  are  they  called  ?  What  is  an  absolute  mon- 
archy ?  What  is  said  of  an  absolute  monarchy  ?  What  monarchy  is  spoken 
of  ?    Tell  in  your  own  words  the  story  of  Ivan  IV. 

What  is  a  limited  monarchy  ?  AVhat  limited  monarchy  is  spoken  of  * 
Who  is  now  ruler  of  England?  With  whom  does  he  share  his  power 2 
What  is  an  aristocracy  ?     What  is  thought  of  aristocracies  ? 

What  is  a  republic  ?  What  is  said  about  a  republic  ?  What  is  the  nam>i 
of  the  government  where  the  people  all  meet  to  make  the  laws?  Ans.  A 
democracy.  What  colony  was  once  a  democracy?  Why  is  it  now  necessary 
to  have  representatives?    W  jere  do  the  representatives  of  our  country  meet? 


CHAPTER  V. 

AETIOLES   OP   CONFEDERATION. 
SUGGESTIVE     REVIEW     QUESTIONS. 

What  were  the  first  laws  called  by  which  this  country  was  governed? 
For  what  states  were  they  drawn?     Name  the  thirteen  original  states. 


158  CIVICS    FOR    YOUNG    AMERICANS. 

Why  had  we  no  re&.l  government  under  these  Articles  ?  What  did  Wasn 
ington  say  about  it?  Who  were  active  in  preparing  the  public  mind  for 
a  change?    What  did  James  Wilson  say  about  our  Constitution? 


CHAPTEE   VI. 

THE  CONSTITUTION. 

SUGGESTIVJi    REVIEW    QUESTIONS. 

What  is  a  constitution?  Repeat  the  preamble.  What  are  the  three 
departments  in  our  government?  What  is  the  legislative  department? 
Where  does  Congress  meet?  Of  what  is  Congress  composed?  What  is 
the  judicial  department?  Why  is  it  better  to  have  the  two  departments 
independent?    What  is  the  executive  department? 


CHAPTER   YII. 

THE  HOUSE  OP  REPRESENTATIVES. 

SUGGESTIVE    REVIEW    QUESTIONS. 

Op  what  is  the  House  of  Representatives  composed?  Why  was  it  wise  to 
make  it  two  years?  What  is  an  elector?  Ans.  One  who  has  the  right  to 
vote  in  choosing  an  officer.  Name  the  three  qualifications  required  for  a 
representative.  What  is  a  naturalized  citizen  ?  How  are  vacancies  in  the 
representation  of  a  state  to  be  filled  ?  By  whom  is  the  speaker  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  cho«^'^n?  By  whom  are  the  other  officers  of  the  House 
chosen?  What  sole  power  has  the  House  ?   What  is  meant  by  impeachment? 


REVIEW    QltESTIONS.  159 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   SENATE. 
SUGGESTIVE     REVIEW     QUESTIONS. 

Of  whom  is  the  Senate  composed  ?  Fqr  how  long  chosen  ?  How  many 
votes  has  each  senator?  Explain  how  the  best  men  of  the  state  may  be 
chosen  senators.  P^xplain  the  resemblance  of  our  government  to  the 
school.  What  plan  was  adopted  in  the  first  meeting  of  Congress?  Why  is 
this  a  good  idea?  How  many  will  try  to  put  only  honest  men  into  office? 
(Hands  up.)  How  old  must  a  senator  be?  How  long  a  citizen?  Where 
must  he  reside  ?  Why  should  the  senator  be  older  than  the  representative  ? 
How  does  our  Senate  differ  from  the  House  of  Lords? 

Who  is  president  of  the  Senate?  When  has  he  a  vote?  What  kind  of 
men  should  be  elected  Vice-President?  Ans.  Men  who  are  in  every  respect 
as  competent  as  the  President.  Why?  Ans.  Because  they  may  become 
President.  Who  will  think  of  this  when  you  become  voters,  or  the  wives 
of  voters?  (Hands  up.)  Why  is  it  best  to  have  the  Vice-President  presi- 
dent of  the  Senate?  Is  there  any  objection  to  seeing  the  good  points  of 
our  government?  Ans.  No;  we  should  see  all  the  good  and  improve  all 
the  faulty  features.  How  can  this  be  done?  Ans.  By  keeping  honest  men 
in  office.  How  can  honest  men  be  kept  in  office?  Jins.  By  the  voters.  Who 
are  responsible  if  dishonest  men  get  office?  Ans.  The  voters  are  responsible, 
as  they  elect  them. 

How  are  the  other  officers  of  the  Senate  elected?  What  is  meant  by 
pro  tempore?  Ans.  For  the  time  being.  Why  is  a  president  pro  tempore 
elected?  What  kind  of  man  should  be  chosen?  Ans.  One  of  the  best  in 
the  Senate,  as  there  is  no  telling  what  may  happen.  Should  the  President 
die,  and  should  a  war  break  out  during  the  recess  of  Congress,  we  should 
have  a  strong  man  as  president  of  the  Senate.  Who  try  impeachments? 
Why?  Why  are  the  words  "oath"  or  "affirmation  "  used?  What  did  Franklin 
remark  during  the  meetings  of  the  committee  that  framed  the  Constitution? 
Who  presides  when  the  President  is  on  trial?  Why  is  this  wise?  How  far 
shall  judgment  extend   in   case  of   mipeachnieut?     When  can  the  person 


160  CIVICS    FOR    YOUNG    AMERICANS. 

be  indicted?  How  only  can  a  man  be  deprived  of  liberty  in  this  country? 
How  does  this  differ  from  other  countries  ?  Who  were  the  first  to  do  away 
with  this  bad  law  ?    Explain  how  a  man  is  tried  on  impeachment. 

By  whom  shall  the  time,  place,  etc.,  for  holding  elections  for  senators  be 
prescribed?  What  power  has  Congress  here?  Why  was  this  provision 
made?    How  often  does  Congress  meet? 

Who  judges  of  the  election  returns?  What  power  has  the  minority? 
Why  is  this  a  thoughtful  provision  ?  Why  should  the  majority  make  the 
laws  ?  Why  was  the  power  of  compelling  the  members  to  attend  given  to 
the  minority?  How  are  the  rules  for  the  houses  made?  How  can  a  mem- 
ber be  expelled?  What  is  meant  by  the  rules  which  govern  the  House? 
What  important  rule  is  mentioned  ?  Why  should  it  take  two-thirds  vote  to 
expel  a  member?  What  is  said  about  keeping  a  journal  of  proceedings, 
etc.?  Why  is  this  right?  How  are  the  yeas  and  nays  taken?  How  are 
members  of  Congress  compensated  ?  What  privileges  do  they  enjoy  ?  Why 
is  this  an  important  clause  ?  Why  should  congressmen  be  exempt  from 
arrest  for  petty  offences?  Why  should  men  not  fear  to  say  what  they 
think  when  talking  on  a  bill?  What  is  said  about  congressmen  being 
elected  to  civil  office  ?    Why  should  this  be  so  ? 

Where  do  bills  for  raising  revenue  originate  ?  Why  is  it  thought  our 
forefathers  made  this  provision?  How  are  laws  made?  What  nmst  the 
President  do  with  a  bill  ?  If  he  object  to  sign  a  bill,  what  is  it  called  ? 
Ans.  A  veto.  Why  was  this  power  given?"  Ans.  To  protect  the  executive 
department  against  encroachments  of  the  legislature,  and  for  greater  secur- 
ity against  the  enactment  of  improper  laws.  What  is  then  done  with  the 
bill  when  vetoed?  What  record  of  names  is  imperative?  How  may  a  bill 
become  a  law  even  though  the  President  has  neither  signed  nor  vetoed  it  ? 
How  if  passed  both  houses  and  not  vetoed?  Has  the  English  king  the 
veto  power?  What  is  said  of  an  order  of  resolution,  etc.?  Why  is  this 
right  ?  What  are  the  principal  officers  of  the  Senate  besides  the  president  ? 
Ans.  Secretary  of  the  Senate,  Chaplain,  Chiel  Clerk,  Principal  Executive 
Clerk,  Sergeant-at-Arms,  Postmaster,  Reporters  of  Debate,  and  Superinten- 
dents of  Folding  and  Document  Rooms.  "  What  salary  is  paid  to  congress- 
men ?  A71S.  $5000  per  year.  Also  a  mileage ;  i.e.,  twenty  cents  per  mile 
of  travel  going  to  and  from  each  annual  session. 


REVIEW   QUESTIONS.  161 

CHAPTER   IX. 

WHAT  OONQRESS  HAS  POWER  TO  DO. 
SUGGESTIVE    REVIEW    QUESTIONS. 

What  power  has  Congress  to  lay  and  collect  taxes  ?  Duties  ?  Imposts  ? 
Excises  ?  What  is  said  as  to  their  being  uniform  ?  What  Congress  had  no 
such  power  ?  Who  can  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States  ? 
When  did  this  prove  a  wise  provision  ?  Why  ?  Who  regulates  commerce  ? 
What  is  meant  by  this?  When  had  Congress  no  such  power?  What  was  the 
result?  What  is  said  of  rules  of  naturalization  and  bankruptcies?  What  is 
a  bankrupt  law?  Ans.  One  which  provides  for  the  relief  of  persons  unable 
to  pay  their  debts.  A  person  who  cannot  pay  his  debts  is  called  a  bankrupt. 
Why  is  this  well  ?  Wlio  can  coin  money  ?  What  are  the  places  called  where 
money  is  coined  ?  ^ns.  Mints.  How  many  and  where  are  the  mints?  Ans. 
There  are  four,  one  in  each  of  the  following  cities  :  Philadelphia,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Carson  City,  and  New  Orleans.  Has  Congress  fixed  the  standard  of 
weights  and  measures?  Ans.  Only  in  this  manner:  each  governor  has  been 
supplied  with  accurate  copies  of  weights  and  measures  used  in  custom  houses, 
and  they  have  been,  as  a  rule,  adopted  as  the  standard.  Who  fixes  value  of 
foreign  coin  ?  Standard  of  weights  and  measures  ?  Why  should  this  be 
vested  in  Congress? 

What  power  has  Congress  to  punish  counterfeiters?  Why  should  this 
power  be  given  to  Congress?  Who  establishes  post-roads?  What  are 
post-roads?  What  kind  of  railroad  is  meant?  Ans.  Steam  car  railroad. 
Are  other  roads  post-roads?  Ans.  Any  public  highway  may  be  a  post-road. 
How  may  authors  and  inventors  be  protected?  What  is  a  copyright? 
An  inventor's  patent  ?  What  power  has  Congress  to  constitute  tribunals  ? 
Punish  and  define  piracies,  etc.?  Who  can  declare  war?  Grant  letters  of 
marque?  What  reason  is  given  as  to  why  Congress  should  have  the  above 
power? — (1)  Piracies,  (2)  declare  war,  (3)  grant  letters.  What  power  has 
Congress  to  raise  and  support  armies?  Why  was  Congress  limited  as  to 
time  of  appropriation?  Ans.  To  protect  the  people.  How?  The  people 
elect  new  members  every  two  years,  and,  if  opposed  to  the  war,  may  elect 


162  CIVICS   FOR    YOUNG    AMERICANS. 

men  who  will  not  maintain  it.  To  provide  a  navy?  To  make  rules  for  the 
government  of  the  land  and  naval  forces?  What  are  the  rules  called?  Ans. 
Articles  of  War.  When  a  man  enlists  as  a  soldier,  he  has  to  swear  that 
he  will  obey  these  Articles  of  War.  To  call  forth  the  militia  ?  When  did 
this  prove  a  wise  clause?  Ans.  During  the  "Whiskey  Insurrection"  in 
Pennsylvania.  When  had  Congress  no  power  to  raise  armies?  What 
was  the  result  ?  What  power  has  Congress  over  the  seat  of  government  ? 
Of  all  public  lands?  Where  is  the  United  States  capital?  From  what 
state  was  the  District  of  Columbia  taken?  Why  should  Congress  have  this 
power?    What  is  said  of  the  meeting  held  in  Philadelphia? 


CHAPTEE  X. 
WHAT  CONaRESS  CANNOT  DO. 

SUGGESTIVE     REVIEW     QtJESTIONS. 

What  is  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus  ?  What  is  said  of  it  in  the  Constitution  ? 
What  is  said  about  this  subject  ? 

What  is  a  bill  of  attainder?  Ex  post-facto  law?  Who  first  prohibited 
acts  of  attainder?     Give  an  illustration  of  an  ex  post-facto  law. 

What  is  said  of  commerce  between  the  states?  Of  vessels  bound  to  or 
from  one  state  to  another  ?  What  caused  our  forefathers  to  think  of  this 
law? 

How  can  money  be  drawn  from  the  national  treasury?  What  publica- 
tion must  be  made  from  time  to  time  ?     What  is  the  purpose  of  the  clause  ? 

What  is  said  of  titles  of  nobility  ?  Of  accepting  presents,  etc.  ?  Whj 
should  there  be  no  titles  in  this  country  ? 

What  is  forbidden  the  states  as  to  treaties?  Granting  letters  of  marque, 
etc.?  Coining  money?  Emitting  bills  of  credit?  Passing  bills  of  attainder 
or  ex  post-facto  laws  ?  The  laying  of  imposts  and  duties  ?  How  are  the  net 
products  of  duties  to  be  expended?  Tonnage?  Troops?  Ships  of  war? 
When  may  a  state  engage  in  war  ?  Why  was  it  necessary  to  put  these  pro- 
hibitions on  the  state  ?  How  are  states  prohibited  from  abusing  the  powers 
given  them? 


REVIEW    QUESTIONS.  163 

CHAPTER  XI. 

EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT. 
SUGGESTIVE    BEVIEW    QUESTIONS. 

Does  your  father  vote  directly  for  the  President?  For  whom  theni 
Why  was  this  plan  adopted?  In  whom  is  the  executive  power  vested^ 
For  how  long  elected?  Who  else  is  elected  with  him?  How  are  the 
electors  appointed?  How  many  to  a  state?  Who  cannot  be  an  elector? 
What  is  the  history  of  past  nations  as  to  the  executive  ?  How  often  may  a 
President  be  elected?  W^hat  were  Washington's  ideas  on  this  subject? 
Tell  in  your  own  words  how  the  electors  conduct  an  alection.  If  the 
electors  do  not  elect  a  President,  what  is  done  ?  Who  would  elect  the  Vice- 
President  ?  "Why  ?  Explain  how  the  candidate  receiving  the  popular  vote 
may  not  be  elected.  Is  there  any  reason  for  this?  Explain  how  it  is  just. 
(See  also  note,  page  147,  Clement's  Civil  Government.) 

Who  determines  the  time  of  choosing  the  electors,  etc.?  Only  what  per- 
sons are  eligible  to  the  office  of  President  ?  When  are  the  electors  chosen  ? 
When  do  they  meet  to  give  their  votes  ?  Where  do  they  meet  ?  In  what 
part  of  the  state  usually  ?  Why  was  there  at  first  an  exception  made  as  to 
who  might  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  President  ? 

If  the  President  should  be  removed  for  any  cause,  who  would  succeed 
him?  If  the  Vice-President  should  die  after  becoming  President,  who  once 
would  have  become  President?  Why  was  this  felt  to  be  unjust?  What  is 
now  the  order  of  succession  ?  Why  were  the  executive  departments  estab- 
lished? Ans.  To  aid  the  President  in  his  official  duties.  How  are  the 
heads  of  departments  appointed?  Ans.  By  the  President,  with  the  advice 
and  consent  of  the  Senate.  What  is  a  reprieve?  Ans.  A  limited  sus- 
pension or  delay  of  the  execution  of  a  sentence  in  a  criminal  case. 

What  salary  is  paid  the  President  ?  What  is  he  forbidden  to  receive  ? 
Repeat  the  oath  taken  by  the  President.  What  is  the  salary  of  the  Vice- 
President?  Ans.  {|10,000.  Members  of  the  Cabinet?  Ans.  $8000.  What 
are  the  duties  of  the  Secretary  of  State?  Ans.  To  attend  to  our  foreign 
relations.    To  take  charge  of  all  laws  passed  by  Congress ;  also,  all  other 


164  CIVICS   FOK    YOUNG    AMERICANS, 

official  documents,  such  as  treaties  made  between  the  United  States  anci 
foreign  nations.  Who  is  the  present  Secretary  of  State?  What  are  the 
duties  of  the  Secretary  of  Treasury?  Ans.  He  has  charge  of  the  financial 
affairs  of  the  United  States  government,  besides  superintending  the  collec- 
tion of  the  internal  revenue,  the  lighthouses  on  the  United  states  coasts,  the 
government  mints,  United  States  coast  survey,  the  government  printing  and 
engraving,  the  life-saving  service,  and  the  bureau  of  statistics.  The  Secre- 
tary of  War?  Ans.  To  provide  food,  clothing  and  military  supplies  for  the 
United  States  army ;  also,  to  superintend  the  signal  service.  The  Secretary 
of  Navy?  Ans.  Has  charge  of  the  public  yards,  docks,  navigation,  provis- 
ion and  clothing  of  the  navy,  medicine  and  surgery  bureau,  bureau  of 
equipment  and  recruiting,  bureau  of  construction  and  repairs,  and  bureau 
of  steam  engineering.  Secretary  of  the  Interior?  Ans.  Through  this  de- 
partment is  transacted  all  the  business  relating  to  the  United  States  census, 
public  lands,  pensions,  Indian  affairs,  patents,  educational  affairs,  railroads, 
government  hospitals,  and  Columbia  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb.  The 
Postmaster-General?  Ans.  Has  charge  of  all  the  post-offices  and  all  public 
business  in  connection  with  them.  The  Attorney-General?  Ans.  Conducts 
all  suits  of  the  United  States  in  the  Supreme  Court,  and  gives  such  legal  in- 
formation as  may  be  called  for  by  the  President,  Congress,  or  members  of 
the  Cabinet.  Secretary  of  Agriculture?  Ans.  Has  to  do  with  the  procuring 
and  distributing  of  valuable  seeds,  plants,  and  giving  such  information  as 
may  be  of  service  to  the  agriculture  interests  of  the  country. 

What  relation  has  the  President  to  the  army  and  navy?  What  may  he 
require  of  the  principal  officer  of  the  executive  department?  Can  the  Presi- 
dent grant  reprieves?  What  exception  is  mentioned?  Why  should  the 
President  have  control  of  the  army  and  navy?  Why  should  he  have  the 
pardoning  power? 

What  is  said  of  the  President  making  treaties?  Appointing  ambas- 
sadors? Public  ministers?  Judges?  Why  is  the  power  to  make  treaties 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  President?  What  is  meant  by  ambassadors? 
Consuls  ?  When  can  the  President  fill  vacancies  ?  For  how  long  ?  Why 
was  this  necessary? 

What  is  required  of  the  President  as  to  giving  information  to  Congress? 
How  is  the  information  given  to  Congress?  What  power  has  he  on  extraor- 
^nary  occasions ?     When  did  the  President  con veije  Congress?    How  may 


REVIEW   QUESTIONS.  165 

the  President,  Vice-President,  and  other  officers  be  removed  from  office? 
For  what  offence?  "What  is  treason  ?  What  kind  of  men  should  be  elected 
President?  Ans.  Honest  men.  Who  are  to  be  the  voters  ten  or  fifteen 
years  from  now  ?  A  ns.  The  boys  of  to-day.  How  can  you  keep  the  good 
name  of  our  country?  Ans.  By  electing  uprioht  men  to  office.  How  many 
will  remember  this  when  you  become  voters?     (Hands  up.) 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  JUDICIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
SUGGESTIVE    REVIEW    QUESTIONS. 

Which  is  the  most  important  department  in  our  government?  Why  the 
judicial?  In  whom  is  the  judicial  power  vested?  How  long  do  the  judges 
hold  office  ?  Upon  what  does  it  depend  ?  What  about  their  salary  ?  How 
does  the  tenure  of  office  differ  from  that  of  the  colonial  times?  Of  whom 
is  the  Supreme  Court  composed?  What  are  the  other  officers  of  the  national 
courts?    What  is  the  salary  of  the  Chief -Justice?    Of  the  associates  ? 

Name  the  subjects  over  which  the  judicial  powei  has  jurisdiction.  Give 
an  example  of  a  case  arising  under  the  Constitution.  Under  the  laws  of  the 
United  States.  Under  a  treaty  made.  Under  those  affecting  ambassadors, 
etc.  Under  the  Admiralty.  Under  controversies  between  states.  Between 
citizens  of  the  same  state  claiming  land  under  grants,  etc. 

When  shall  the  Supreme  Court  have  original  jurisdiction?  What  is 
meant  by  original  jurisdiction?  When  shall  the  Supreme  Court  have  appel- 
late jurisdiction  ?  What  is  meant  by  appellate  jurisdiction?  What  is  the 
principal  business  of  the  Supreme  Court?  How  can  good  judges  be  secured 
for  these  courts?  Ans.  By  electing  a  good  President?  Who,  then,  are  really 
responsible?    Ans.  The  people. 

What  is  said  of  trial  by  jury  ?  Where  shall  trials  be  held  ?  Whom  does 
this  protect?  What  was  the  doctrine  of  our  forefathers?  Did  they  carry  it 
out  fully?  Ans.  ^o.  Why?  Ana,  Because  they  allowed  slavery  to  coa» 
tinue. 


166  CIVICS    FOR    YOUNG    AMERICANS. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

MISCELLANEOUS  PROVISIONS. 
SUGGESTIVE     REVIEW     QUESTIONS. 

What  is  treason  against  the  United  States  ?  How  can  a  person  be  con 
victed  of  treason?  Who  shall  declare  the  punishment  of  treason  ?  What  is 
forbidden?  How  were  men  formerly  made  to  confess  guilt?  What  is  meant 
by  corruption  of  blood  ? 

What  is  said  of  full  faith  and  credit  to  be  given  in  each  state  to  the  pub- 
lic acts  of  other  states  ?  What  is  meant  by  this  ?  To  what  are  citizens  of 
each  state  entitled?  What  is  said  of  persons  fleeing  from  justice  from  one 
state  to  another  ?    Why  is  this  a  wise  provision  ? 

riow  are  new  states  admitted?  How  can  new  states  be  formed  from 
otlier  states?  Who  has  power  to  make  rules  and  regulations  for  the  terri- 
tories ?  Why  should  Congress  have  power  over  'the  territories  ?  How  are 
the  territories  represented  in  the  Congress  ? 

What  is  guaranteed  to  every  state  in  the  Union?  How  are  the  states 
bound? 

How  may  amendments  be  made  to  the  Constitution  ?  Why  was  this  a 
wise  clause  ?  How  did  our  forefathers  show  their  honesty  of  purpose  when 
making  the  Constitution?  What  is  the  supreme  law  of  the  land?  Recite 
the  clause  that  answers  the  above  question.  What  shall  not  be  required  of 
a  qualification  to  hold  any  office  of  trust,  etc.  ?  What  prompted  this  clause 
to  the  Constitution  ? 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  AMENDMENTS. 
SUGGESTIVE     REVIEW     QUESTIONS. 

How  many  amendments  have  been  made  to  the  Constitution?    Which 
were  made  during  the  first  session  of  Congress?    Why  did  the  people  insist 


REVIEW    QUESTIONS.  167 

on  having  them  ?  Give  article  first.  What  is  said  of  the  right  of  the  people 
to  keep  and  bear  arms?  In  quartering  soldiers  in  time  of  peace?  When  are 
warrants  to  be  issued?  AVhen  only  can  a  porson  be  held  to  answer  for  a 
capital  or  infamous  crime?  What  exceptions  are  mentioned?  How  only 
shall  private  property  be  taken  for  public  use  ? 

In  criminal  prosecutions,  what  rights  shall  the  accused  enjoy?  Of  what 
shall  he  be  informed?  With  whom  confronted?  How  obtain  witnesses? 
What  is  said  of  suits  at  common  law  where  the  value  in  controversy  exceeds 
twenty  dollars?  What  is  said  of  excessive  bail?  What  is  Article  IX.? 
Article  X.? 

Who  abolished  slavery?  What  was  necessary  after  this?  Repeat  the 
article.  Who  are  citizens  of  the  United  States?  What  prohibition  is  put 
upon  the  states?  How  are  the  representatives  apportioned  among  the 
states?  What  happens  if  the  right  to  vote  is  denied?  Who  are  prohibited 
from  being  senators  or  congressmen?  Why  was  this  amendment  made? 
What  is  said  of  the  validity  of  the  public  debt?  What  is  said  of  debts 
incurred  in  aid  of  insurrection  or  rebellion?    Repeat  the  15th  amendment. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Introduction. 

How  was  the  first  state  organized?  Which  were  formed  out  of 
territory  already  owned?  What  territory,  has  been  acquired  by  con- 
quest? WJiich  asked  admission?  In  what  ways  has  territory  been 
acquired?  How  are  the  people  of  a  territory  protected?  How  are 
their  oflicers  chosen?  What  steps  must  be  taken  by  a  territory  to 
be  admitted?  What  is  done  after  the  constitution  is  ratified?  What, 
then,  is  the  duty  of  the  President? 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Subdivisions. 

What  can  you  say  of  the  individual  influence  in  governmental 
affairs?  To  what  is  this  due?  Into  how  many  and  what  divisions 
are  the  states  divided?  What  are  the  largest?  Of  what  composed? 
How  does  it  differ  from  representative  districts?     How  divided? 


168  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
County. 

What  is  meant  by  a  county?  How  made?  What  power  has  it? 
If  oflBcers  are  lax  who  are  responsible  ?  Wlhat  are  these  divisions 
called  in  Louisiana?  Why  seldom  changed?  What  powers  or  duties 
has  the  county? 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Townships. 


What  was  the  origin  of  towns  or  townships?  Which  were  first 
organized,  counties  or  towns?  What  is  the  relation  of  the  county  to 
the  town?  State  briefly  the  difference  between  the  New  England  and 
Virginia  forms  of  local  government.  In  which  were  the  rights  of  the 
people  made  safer?    Quote  Thomas  Jefferson  on  this. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
Townships  Continued. 

What  caused  the  irregular  boundary  lines  of  the  irregular  town- 
ships and  counties?  To  what  difference  did  this  lead?  What  has 
taken  its  place?  Draw  a  figure  two  times  as  large  as  that  shown  in 
the  book  and  name  three  of  the  lines  on  each  side. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
Townships  and  County. 

How  many  systems  of  local  government  are  now  found  in  the 
United  States?  What  brought  this  about?  Of  what  was  it  a  compro- 
mise? What  states  have  the  combined  system?  Give  an  illustration. 
What  was  done  in  1848? 


REVIEW  QUESTIONS.  169 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Towns  and  Cities. 

State  brifly  the  difference  between  town  and  city  government, 
a.nd  a  township.  Name  some  things  necessary  to  a  city  not  found  in 
a  township.    What  is  said  of  the  variety  of  town  and  city  governments  > 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

State  Government. 

To  what  are  the  variations  between  the  thirteen  original  states 
and  those  of  today  due? 

Legislative. — What  is  the  legislative  department  of  a  state?  How 
many  senators  are  there  in  your  state?  For  how  long  elected?  What 
must  be  the  age  of  a  senator?  How  does  the  House  compare  with  the 
Senate  as  to  size?  For  how  long  a  term  are  the  representatives  in 
^our  state  elected?  How  does  this  compare  with  Nevada?  New 
Hampshire?  How  is  the  minority  guarded  in  Illinois?  How  often 
is  the  House  elected  in  your  state?  How  long  is  the  session  in  your 
state?  What  power  has  the  Governor  as  to  special  sessions?  What 
salaries  are  paid?  What  regulations  are  similar  to  nearly  all  states? 
Name  the  special  duties  of  each  House?  What  are  the  duties  of  the 
Governor?  Lieutenant  Governor?  Secretary  of  State?  Treasurer? 
Attorney  General ?  Superintendent  of  Schools?  Engineer?  Surveyor? 
Superintendent  of  Public  Works? 

Judicial. — How  many  kinds?  Duties  of  each?  Teim  of  office  of 
judges. 


170  CIVICS  FOR  YOUNG  AMERICANS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

County  Officers. 

Name  the  principal  officers  of  the  county :  Duties  of  Sheriff? 
Auditor?  County  Clerk?  Superintendent  of  Schools?  County  As- 
sessor? Treasurer?  Coroner?  Recorder?  Surveyor?  County  Com- 
missioners?  Why  should  good  men  especially  be  elected  for  the 
latter?     What  county  officers,      not  mentioned  in  the  book  have  you? 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Officeks  of  the  Township. 

Name  the  officers  of  the  township.  Duties  of  the  township  board? 
Supervisor?  Clerk?  Supervisor  of  the  Poor?  Board  of  Health?  Jus- 
tice of  Peace?  What  are  the  officers  of  your  township?  What  are 
their  duties?    Compare  them  with  these. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Officers  of  Town  and  City. 

How  did  the  towns  come  to  be  separated  from  the  townships? 
What  are  the  principal  officers  of  a  town?  What  is  said  about  their 
salary?  Term  of  office?  What  are  the  principal  officers  of  your 
town?  How  long  is  the  term  of  office  of  each?  Salaries?  What  is. 
the  difference  between  a  town  and  a  city?  Are  cities  governed  alike? 
What  officers  are  found  in  every  city?  Wtiat  is  the  most  prominent 
officer  in  the  city  government?  How  does  the  length  of  the  term  of 
the  mayor  of  your  city  compare  with  Boston?  With  Philadelphia? 
What  are  the  duties  of  the  mayor?  How  do  the  city  councils  vary  in 
the  different  cities?  How  does  your  city  council  compare  with  that  of 
San  Francisco?    How  do  judges  usually  receive  their  offices? 


MISCELrlyANBOUS  QUESTIONS.  l7l 


CHAPTER  XXVin. 

Conclusion. 

What  tends  to  unite  the  American  citizen  more  closely  tlian  in 
the  second  great  republic  of  the  world?  What  would  tend  to  destroy 
this?    What  appeal  is  made  to  you  in  the  last  chapter  of  this  book? 


MISCELLANEOUS  QUESTIONS. 


What  is  the  ratio  of  representation  at  this  time?  (1905.)  Ans. 
194,182.  How  often  is  the  census  taken  by  the  government?  Ans. 
Every  ten  years.  It  was  taken  in  1900.  What  is  a  representative 
at  large?  Ans.  One  who  is  elected  by  the  whole  State;  to  give  the 
proper  representation  in  congress,  e.g.,  a  State  has  a  population  en- 
titling it  to  twenty-eight  congressmen  and  has  only  twenty-six  dis- 
tricts. Two  congressmen  have  to  be  elected  by  all  the  voters  of  the 
State.  What  are  duties  as  mentioned  in  Lesson  IV?  Ans.  Any  sum 
of  money  required  by  the  government  to  be  paid  on  importations 
or  consumption  of  goods.  What  are  imports?  Ans.  A  tax  or  duty, 
especially  a  duty,  or  tax  laid  by  the  government  on  goods  imported 
into  the  country.  What  is  an  excise?  Ans.  An  inland  duty  or  im- 
post  operating  as  an  indirect  tax  on  the  consumer,  levied  on  tobac- 
co, all  fermented  liquors,  etc.,  grown  or  manufactured  in  the  country. 
How  is  it  levied  on  the  consumer?  Ans.  Each  cigar  box  filled,  e.  g., 
must  have  a  government  stamp,  the  cost  of  this  is  added  to  the 
price  of  the  cigars  by  the  manufacturer,  which  is  paid,  of  course, 
by  the  consumer. 


INDEX. 


Absolute  monarchy,  23. 
Adjournment    of    Congress,    52 

and  88. 
Admiralty  courts,  94. 
Admission  of  states,  100. 
Adoption  of  Constitution,  31. 
Ambassadors,  appointment  of,  86. 
Amendments,   104. 
Appeals  from  state  courts,  93. 
Apellate  jurisdiction,  95. 
Appointment  of  officers,  86. 
Aristocracy,  27.    , 
Armies,  how  raised,  66. 
Articles  of  Confederation,  29. 

Bankruptcy  law,  161. 

Bill  of  attainder,  70. 

Bills,  how  introduced,  60. 

Bills  of  credit^  63. 

Borrow  money,  Congress  may,  63. 

Cabinet,  composed  of,   84;   how 
appointed,  163;  duties  of,  163. 

Cities,  government  of,  149. 

Committees  of  the  whole,  55. 

Census,  171. 

Compensation  of  President,  84= 

Compensation   of   senators    and 
representatives,  56. 

Conclusion,  118. 

Confederation,  29. 

Congress,  how  convened,  88. 

Congress,  of  what  composed,  34, 

Congress,  powers  of,  63-68. 

Congress,  prohibitions  of,  69-74. 

Congressmen,  salary  of,  160. 

Constitutional  amendments,  104- 
111. 

Constitution,  definition  of,  33. 

Consuls,  87. 

Counties,  government  of,  144. 


Declaration  of  war,  66. 
Democracy,  157. 
District  of  Columbia,  68. 
Duties,  171. 

Election  of  President  and  Vice- 
.    Pres.,  75-79. 

Election  of  representatives,  38. 
Election  of  senators,  43. 
Elector,  158. 

Electoral  vote,  when  given,  82. 
Electors,  meeting  of,  77. 
Electors,  time  of  choosing,  82. 
Electors,  why  preferable,  80. 
Executive  department,  75-91. 
Executive  department  defined,  35, 
Excise,  171. 
Ex  post-facto  law,  70. 
Foreigners,  39. 
Forms  of  government,  22-29. 
Franklin's  remarks  in  conven- 
tion, 49. 
Freedom  of  speech,  56. 
God,  recognition  of,  49. 
Government,  why  necessary,  9-17. 
Governments,  kinds  of,  22-28. 
Gladstone  on  the  Constitution,32. 
Habeas  corpus,  69. 
Heads  of   departments,   86. 
House  of  Commons,  37. 
House  of  Lords,  46. 
House  of  Representatives,  36-42. 
Impeachment,   41.  . 

Impeachment,  officers  liable  to,89 
Impeachment,  trial  of,  48. 
Imports,  171. 
Journal  of  Congress,  55. 
Judges,  tenure  of  office,  91. 
Judgment  in  impeachment,  50. 
Judicial  department,  34. 


174 


INDEX. 


Jury,  trial  by,  96. 
Kings,   18,   20,  25. 

Laws,  how  made,  60. 
Legislative   department,  34. 
Letters  of  marque,  66. 
Liberty  and  law,  10. 
Liberty,  a  story  about,  9-17. 
Limited  monarchy,  24. 

Measure,  standard  of,  64. 
Meetings   of  Congress,   52. 
Messages  of  President,  88. 
Militia,  to  provide  for,  67. 
Mints,    where   located,    161. 
Miscellaneous  provisions,  97-103. 
Miscellaneous  questions,  171. 
Mode  of  passing  laws,  60. 
Monarchical  titles,  22. 
Money  appropriations,  72. 
Money,  regulation  of,  64. 

Naturalized  citizens,  39. 

Oath  of  office,  85. 

Object  of  government,  16-17. 

Original   jurisdiction,    95. 

Pardoning  power,  85. 
Parliamentary  laws,  54. 
Petition,  the  right  of,  104. 
Political  parties,  112. 
Popular  vote,  explanation  of,  79. 
Post-roads,  161. 
powers  of  Congress,  63-69. 
Powers  of  the  President,  85-90. 
Preamble  to  Constitution,  33. 
Presidency,  succession  to,  84. 
Presidents,  table  of,  120. 
Prohibition  of  certain  laws,  104. 
Prohibition  of  states,  73. 
Protection  of  public  funds,  72. 

Qualifications  cf  representative?., 

38. 
Qualifications  of  senators,  45. 


Religious  liberty,  103. 
Removal  from  office,  89. 
Representatives,    38;     at    large, 

17L 
Representation,  ratio  of,  171. 
Republic,  27. 
Revenue,  bills  for,  59. 
Right  of  petition,  104. 
Risht  of  search,  105. 

School,  comparisons  of,  43. 

Senate,   43-62. 

Senate,  president  of,  47;  officers 

of,  160. 
Senators,  45. 

Speaker  of  the  House,  41. 
States,   government   of,   136. 
Sunreme  Court,  91. 
Subdivisions,  124. 

Term  of  office  of  judges.  91. 
Term  of  office  of  President.  75. 
T^rm    of    office    of    representa- 
tives, 36. 
Term  of  office  of  senators,  43. 
Territories,  rights  of,  100-101. 
Titles  of  nobility,  72. 
Towns,  government  of,  147. 
Towns  and  cities,  135. 
Townships,  government  of,  127. 
Treason,  98. 
Treaties,  103. 

Treaties,  by  whom  forbidden,  73. 
Treaties,  by  whom  made,  86. 

United  States  capitals,  116. 
Union,  lack  of,  29-31. 

Vacancies,  how  filled,  87. 
Veto,  meaning  of,  160. 
Veto-power  of  King,  61. 
Veto-power  of  President,  60-61. 
Vice-president,   78,   159,   163. 

Wolsey,  story  of,  26. 
Writs  of  election,  40. 
Wilson  on  the  Cohstitution,  32. 


UNIVERSITY  OP  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUT^  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

Books  not  ret«nea  on  «me  are  ^llfl%%,^l,:i 
60c  per  volume  after  'Jf  «n'™  SJ  aay.     Books  not  in 

■-:-..^„„  „-f  loan  DHjlod.  _ 


wm 


38^92f 


30Nov'5BGO 


JUL- 20  m'  bvit-.R. 


tttMQ^O 


MAR  3 


50m-7,'16 


'^• 


re  0884 


270332 


as 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


'  -i  'it- „  i*< 


